


Star Wars: Shadow Wars: Foundation

by SWEULover2007



Series: Star Wars: Shadow Wars [1]
Category: Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, First Time, Loss of Virginity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-16 16:05:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 58
Words: 238,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14814521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SWEULover2007/pseuds/SWEULover2007
Summary: Tau Palpatine has been sent back in time in order to create a new Shadow Alliance so the galaxy can prepare for the threats of the future, both known and unknown in Tau's time. He will gain new friends and comrades, and make powerful enemies in the process. This story is a part of Squasher's AU for the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Rated M to be safe. Please read and review.Cross-posted on FanFiction.net (where Squasher can be found and emailed).





	1. Dramatis Personae

Star Wars: Shadow Wars: Foundation

Dramatis Personae 

A’Sharad Hett; Fallen Jedi/Bounty Hunter (Human Male)  
Ahsoka Tano/”Fulcrum”; Former Jedi; Rebel Intelligence Leader (Togruta Female)  
Akuu Seii II; Mandalorian Captain (Anzati Male)  
Bail Organa: Galactic Empire Senator/ Rebel Leader (Human Male)  
Celebion; Dunedain Ranger (Human Male)  
Celeste Morne; Jedi Covenant Shadow (Human Female)  
CT-7567 “Rex”; Clone Captain (Human Male)  
Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine; Dark Lord of the Sith; Galactic Emperor (Human Male)  
Darth Vader (Formerly Anakin Skywalker); Dark Lord of the Sith (Human Cyborg Male)  
Garm Bel Iblis; Galactic Senator/Rebel Leader (Human Male)  
Jaing; Former Clone Trooper/Bounty Hunter (Human Male)  
Jarael Chantique; Medic/Psychiatrist (Iskalloni Female)  
Kal Skirata; Mandalorian Clan Leader (Human Male)  
Mitth'raw'nuruodo (“Thrawn”); Imperial Captain (Chiss Male)  
Mon Mothma; Imperial Senator/Rebel Leader (Human Female)  
Nagme Jamaane; Shamed One/Former Shaper (Yuuzhan Vong Female)  
Tau Palpatine; Jedi Knight (Human Male)  
Ventis Uriel; Former Inquisitor/Jedi Apprentice (Human Male)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good Afternoon, everyone! How are you doing on this freezing cold day of January 5, 2018? I’m completely ecstatic, as I’m back in the game of writing Star Wars Expanded Universe stories. But, this time, I’m writing for a friend of mine by the username of Squasher, who is creating a brilliant Alternative Universe of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and his storyline is da bomb, at least, I think that’s how the saying goes. So, if you want to learn more about Squasher’s saga, feel free to check out our forum on this website, which is titled “Honoring the Original Star Wars Expanded Universe”. The two of us, and DhuryamDhuryam and MandoCommander, of course, have been brainstorming ideas for the amazing saga. I hope to see some of you there, as we welcome all people to this forum, as long as you follow the simple rules on the forum, which are to keep your comments constructive, and not venomous. Well, with that said, let’s get started with this amazing story. May the Force be with us all, and Long Live the Star Wars Expanded Universe!


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Didn’t expect to see me again so soon, I bet? Well, until community college starts back up again for me in six days, I’m going to be spending a great deal of time writing my part of Squasher’s saga. I have to admit, though, that I’m a bit nervous on writing this story, as I’m don’t know how much I can include in it regarding plot, characters, and the passage of time. Anyway, I only have so long to write for tonight before I have to go to bed, as I have work for six hours tomorrow. Well, with that out of the way, let’s get started.

Onboard the Second Chance  
En Route to Alderaan  
15 BBY

Tau Palpatine was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion in the pilot’s seat of the Second Chance, the illegally modified Corellian Engineering Corporation YT-1300 Light Freighter that originally belonged to his genetic template and twin brother, Edaan Palpatine. 

He had been running himself ragged for the past five days as he helped his fellow young Jedi with crisis after crisis in the Unknown Regions, where his mission to build a second Shadow Alliance began after being sent seventy-four years back in time by Iluvatar, the first Celestial to ever exist, and the ethereal being that directed Tau to honor his brother’s legacy to helping create a stable and peaceful galaxy. 

He knew that he could not hope to accomplish his plans alone, which was why he was heading to the Core Worlds planet of Alderaan in order to make contact with Bail Organa, the planet’s senator in the Imperial Senate, and one of the leaders of the fledgling Rebellion, and convince him to set up a meeting with his most trusted conspirators, Chandrilian Senator Mon Mothma and Corellian Sentor Garm Bel Iblis. 

From there, he would reveal his true identity, his plans for the galaxy, and the threats that the galaxy would face within less than a handful of generations. 

Fortunately for Tau, he had ten hours before he arrived at Alderaan, which allowed him an abundant amount of time to recuperate from his final mission with Viridian Mallory, Daniel Valo, and their friends and fellow Jedi before they went their separate ways.

Not wanting to squander this rare opportunity to get even a measure of much-needed rest, he turned to his friend and second-in-command, Akuu Seii II, and wearily said, “All right, Akuu. The helm is yours until we reach Alderaan. I’m going to be getting a lot of sleep. Wake me when we reach the system.”

“Understood, Tau. Get some rest. You’ve more than earned it after helping us escape that Imperial patrol near Roxuli.” Akuu said in understanding. 

“Don’t I know it, buddy.” Tau concurred, before he nearly stumbled into the main hall of the Second Chance, nearly running into R9-G6, the astromech droid that Ben Skywalker gave to him before he started this insane journey. After Arnine warbled in annoyance of nearly being run over by his master, Tau apologetically said, “Sorry, Arnine. I’m so exhausted that I didn’t see you there. I’ll be heading for my quarters, so you won’t see me until we reach Alderaan.” 

Arnine spoke in droidspeak in understanding and then rolled away to the dejarik table, where Nagme Jamaane, a Yuuzhan Vong Shaper who allied with the Jedi after the battle for Arda, was watching a heated match of dejarik between Celebion, a Dunedain Ranger from the world of Arda, and Ventis Uriel, a former Imperial Inquisitor who was now the Jedi Apprentice of Tau. 

“Enjoying yourselves, you three?” Tau said in amusement of his friends bonding over their shared love of the strategic game that the latter two were engaged in. 

“Yes.” All three companions said simultaneously, leaving Tau alone to chuckle in amusement as he headed to his cabin, only to run into the ship’s personal medic, Jarael Chantique, as well as Tau’s personal Tuk’ata hound, Butch, right outside his cabin. 

“Jarael.” Tau said after yawning for about five seconds, and quickly rubbed Butch’s head in affection. He then said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you right now with one of your medical advancements. I’m in desperate need of sleep, and I need to be well-rested when we meet with Senator Organa and his allies.” 

“Actually, Tau, I have something to give to you that will help you get to sleep within minutes.” Jarael said in her trademark professional manner as she handed the young Jedi Knight a pill, and then continued, saying, “Just swallow this pill, and in less than five minutes, you’ll be sleeping like an infant.” 

“Oh.” Tau simply said in surprise before he composed himself and gratefully said, “Thank you, Jarael. Come on, Butch. Time to get some shut-eye.” With that said, Jarael nodded in gratitude, and left the two alone to head into the captain’s quarters, where Tau removed his robes and changed into his nightclothes while Butch sat down on the bed that master and loyal companion shared. 

Once Tau was fully clothed, he ingested the pill that Jarael gave him, and almost instantaneously, he felt the effects of the medicine taking effect. He then got into bed underneath the sheets, and said, “Good night, Butch. We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. So be on your best behavior, okay?” Butch then licked his master’s face in affection, which caused Tau to chuckle as he fell into a deep sleep. 

Ten Hours Later, On the Planet Alderaan  
Outside the Capital City of Aldera

Ferus Olin awoke from an extremely vivid vision of a moon blasting a massive beam of energy on Alderaan, instantly destroying the planet and its two billion inhabitants. 

Realizing that this vision would haunt the former Jedi’s dreams for quite some time, he got up from his bed and went to his house’s refresher, where he stood above his sink in order to pour hot water on his face in order to calm his frazzled mind. The effects were instantaneous, and he could feel the scalding water distract him from the vision. He then took out some shaving gel, applied it on his face where he could see a beard growing, and used a razor that he summoned with the Force to slowly shave the facial hair off. 

Once his beard was completely removed, he decided to get dressed in order to till the fields of his farm, as the harvest for his crops would be done in a handful of days.

As soon as he was dressed for farming, he nearly stumbled into a wall, as he felt an incredibly powerful presence in the Force approach the Alderaan System. Fearing the worst, he used his rusty skills with the Force to extend his consciousness to the edges of the system. 

Once he locked onto the source of the disturbance, he mentally saw a CEC Freighter heading for Alderaan, and he now realized that two powerful Force-Sensitives were the ones that were emitting an impressive command of the Force. Upon further probing, he sensed that the two beings were men that were projecting a powerful connection to the Light Side of the Force, which partially put his mind at ease, but raised a series of questions in his head, as the two men must have known about the ongoing purge of the Jedi Order by the Galactic Empire. 

Realizing that he should inform Senator Bail Organa of this development, he prepared to retract his consciousness, but was stopped by one of the Jedi, who telepathically said, Do not fear, Ferus Olin. We have not come to bring harm to you or the people of Alderaan. We have come to bring you, Senator Organa, and his allies of grave threats that exceed the Sith in their danger and maliciousness. We will meet you outside your home outside of Aldera. May the Force be with you, fellow follower of the Light Side. 

With that said, the mysterious Jedi disconnected himself from Ferus’s mind, and left him baffled beyond belief. Deciding to make some use of his time until this unknown man met him, he went outside to start preparing his food for harvest, all the while muttering to himself, “And people wonder why I try to keep to myself.”

Back on the Second Chance

“Well, I’d say that we’ve got Ferus’s attention. And he was kind enough to allow me to pinpoint his exact location.” Tau enthusiastically said as he prepared to take the Second Chance into Alderaan’s Atmosphere. 

As the Jedi did so, he said to his apprentice over the intercom, “Ventis, do you have the holocron and files that I asked you to gather, because we’ll be arriving at Ferus’s farm in half an hour, max?” 

“Don’t worry. I finished the task two hours ago, Tau. I have everything we need to convince Senator Organa and his allies about the threats besides the Order of the Sith Lords.” Ventis dutifully said on his end of the intercom.

“Good. You’d all better buckle up, because we’re about to enter Alderaan’s atmosphere, and it might get a little bumpy.” Tau said as he and Akuu began the ship’s descent. 

As the ship quickly made its way to Aldera, it was being hailed. “Unknown ship, this is Aldera Control. Please transmit your landing codes for clearance.” 

Taking his cue from Tau, who gave Akuu a sideways glance in understanding, the Anzati activated the ship’s communications equipment, and said, “Understood. This is Captain Niko Sai of the Last Resort. Transmitting clearance codes as we speak.” As he referred to one of the Second Chance’s many fake names, he transmitted a series of fake transponder codes to the people in the spaceport. 

After a handful of moments, the voice said, “Codes check out. Welcome to Alderaan, Last Resort. Where will you be landing?” 

“Well, actually, we’re first going to drop off a few of your people who are heading to visit Fess Ilee at his home outside the city. We’ll then head to whatever landing bay that you decide. Is that acceptable?” Akuu said in a apologetic tone. 

“Don’t worry about it, Captain Sai. We’ll be keeping Docking Bay 10 open for you for two hours. Enjoy your stay on Alderaan, and to your passengers, welcome back.” The female voice said over the link before she cut it, leaving a smirking Akuu and Tau alone to wonder how anyone could be so free with goodwill in this age of fear and oppression.

“Well, that was easy.” Tau said, his voice full of relief before his face turned serious, and he said, “Now the tough part begins. May Iluvatar be with us.” 

Ten Minutes Later, At Fess Ilee’s Farm

Ferus Olin felt the two immensely powerful presences in the Force rapidly approach his position, which is why he stopped tilling his farmland, and hid his lightsaber beneath his farmer’s tunic as he saw the ship that quickly began to hover a meter above his flower garden. 

The former Jedi prepared himself for any possible scenario that might unfold as the ship’s landing ramp opened to reveal a four humans, three man, who included one who appeared no older than twenty-five years old, one in his fifties, and another in his forties, a woman who appeared to be in her thirties, an Iskalloni who was dressed in a medic’s uniform, and the most shocking of all was a Tuk’ata hound, which Ferus thought were only native to the Sith tombworld of Korriban, and casued him to ignite his lightsaber in a defensive position. 

The youngest human quickly raised his hands in a calming gesture, and shouted, “Be at peace, Ferus Olin! We have not come to kill or harm you. We only wish to talk to you and your patron, Senator Bail Organa, and to offer our assistance in overthrowing Darths Sidious and Vader from the helm at their Galactic Empire.” 

Stunned beyond belief at the words uttered from the young man’s mouth, and the Tuk’ata’s lack of aggression towards him, in fact, the hound seemed to be looking at Ferus with a look of curiosity, if that could be accounted to Tuk’ata hounds, Ferus decided to take leap of faith with his young visitor, and deactivated his lightsaber. As soon as he did so, the six individuals leapt off of the ramp and began to approach him in a nonthreatening manner. 

As they did so, the YT-1300 Light Freighter quickly departed the former Jedi’s farm, and headed to Aldera. Ferus then quickly took the time to connect the mental dots together, and then say what he had been thinking ever since he received the telepathic conversation with the mysterious presence. “I assume that you are the disturbance in the Force that I felt enter this system?” 

“That is correct, Ferus.” The youngest man said to him.

Deciding to get to the heart of the matter, Ferus said, “Without even mentioning how you know about my connection to Senator Organa, or how you know my true identity, why do you want to speak to him?” 

“Because we have the knowledge to give control of the galaxy back to the people, and to prepare the galaxy for the threats that it will soon face.” The mysterious Jedi cryptically said before he continued, saying, “Forgive me, but I would prefer to speak to Senator Organa and his allies, Senators Mon Mothma and Garm Bel Iblis, as well as his left-hand woman, Ahsoka Tano, the leader of Organa’s Rebel Intelligence network at one time, as this will be a lengthy discussion, and I would hate to repeat this so many times.” 

After shaking himself out of the shock of this stranger had put him in, Ferus caught the name of a woman that he thought that he would never hear again, and disbelievingly said, “I’m sorry, did you just say ‘Ahsoka Tano’? As in Anakin Skywalker’s former Padawan before she was expelled by the Jedi Order and then disappeared from the galactic stage?” 

“Yes. That Ahsoka Tano.” The unknown man calmly said before he continued, saying, “Listen, I hate to rush things along, but could you please contact Senator Organa now, because we’re on a timetable, and we need to get to work as soon as we can? And, you can call me Tau, as I would like if you could use my first name. Oh, before I forget, this is Ventis, Celebion, Nagme, Jarael, and, last but not least, Butch.” Tau said as he introduced his three fellow humans, the Iskalloni, and the Tuk’ata hound. 

After nodding to each of the visitors, Ferus began to walk back to his house as he turned his head back to Tau and said, “You named a Tuk’ata hound ‘Butch’?” 

“Actually, my brother did. It was to honor a Rancor-Dragon from the Je’daii Order’s final days.” Tau nonchalantly said as he followed Ferus into his house, where he revealed a hidden transmitter underneath his floorboards, and began to activate it.

“I… see. Clearly we have a lot to talk about when we meet with Senator Organa and his conspirators.” Ferus said in a deadpanned tone as the hologram of Senator Bail Organe came into focus.

“Ferus. This is a surprise. To what do I-” Bail’s hologram began to say in a pleasurable tone before he saw the six visitors, and suspiciously said, “Who are these people, Ferus?” 

“Forgive me, Senator, but these individuals claim to have information that could either aide or compromise your attempts to overthrow Sidious and Vader. Also, how could you not tell me that Ahsoka Tano was leading your Intelligence network?” Ferus said as he added a little heat to his tone as he spoke to an increasingly nervous Bail. 

“How-how could you possible know that?” Bail shakily said to his fellow rebel. 

“Because, Senator Organa, I was sent about seventy-two years back into the past by a Celestial in order to help prepare the galaxy for the myriad of threats that will soon appear from within and outside our galaxy, both known and unknown.” Tau nonchalantly said to both men, which left them slack-jawed in disbelief. 

After about a moment of the area being awkwardly quiet, Tau continued, saying, “So, do you think that you can have an appointment with us in a couple of hours, along with Ahsoka and your two leading senatorial conspirators, Senators Garm Bel Iblis and Mon Mothma, because I know that they’re here with you to discuss anti-Imperial operations, and we have a lot to talk about? Also, if it’s not too much to ask, could you please make a lot of caf or hot chocolate, as it will take hours for us to reach an agreement, and we’ll all need to be alert for when we form an alliance?”

Once Bail mentally recovered from this casual conversation with an unknown, but obviously very well informed, individual, he said, “Very well. I’ll send Captain Antilles in the Tantive IV to your location in order to take you to the Royal Palace, and we’ll convene in Forty-five minutes. If I may ask, however, what is your name, as I’ll need to tell my allies of this… potential benefactor, before we meet?” 

“Well, Senator Organa, my name is Tau. Jedi Knight Tau Palpatine, to be more precise.” Tau cheerfully said, which caused both Ferus and Bail to stutter in disbelief for about a minute, before Tau asked Ferus, “Well, Ferus, while we leave Senator Organa here to process this information, why don’t we discuss… well, anything that won’t cause you to have an aneurysm?” 

“Y-yes. That would be a good idea, Tau.” Ferus numbly said as he disconnected the transmitter and left a flabbergasted Senator alone to his thoughts. Once he did so, he turned to Tau and said, “How, in the name of all that is good and sacred in this galaxy, can a relative of the most dangerous individual in modern history become a Jedi Knight, even if he does come form the future as he claims?” 

“Well, Ferus, I am the great-great-grandson of Darth Sidious, and the brother of the late Edaan Palpatine, Jedi Master of the resurrected Jedi Order, to be more precise.” Tau said in a matter-of-fact tone, which further confused the former Padawan, as he could sense nothing but the truth coming from the man standing in front of him.

“I… see. And, who are your associates, if I might ask?” Ferus said, eager to change the topic of conversation to something more mundane.

“Ah, yes. Introductions. Allow me to introduce me to my friends and shipmates. The man and woman smelling your flowers are Ventis Uriel and Nagme Jamaane, the former is my apprentice in the Jedi Arts, and the latter is… well, let’s just call her a genetic specialist for now, as you’ll know her true profession when we meet with your patron. The woman that is currently reading a datapad on these time’s medicines is Jarael Chantique, a master psychologist and medic, and the best expert on cybernetics that I know. The man that is observing your simple but elegant architecture is Celebion, a resident of a world known as Arda, which resides in the Unknown Regions. And, you’ve already met Butch, my loyal Tuk’ata hound that is apparently licking your hand as a gesture of affection.” Tau said as he introduced the majority of his companions in clockwise order. 

“A pleasure to meet you, Feurs Olin. Tau has told us of your noble efforts of building a resistance movement against his ancestor’s wicked Empire, and we hope that you can help us in our efforts as well.” Celebion said in a courteous and friendly tone. “We hope to be of aide to you and your friends in your fight for the free peoples of the galaxy.” 

“Thank you, Celebion.” Ferus said in an equally polite tone as he struggled to come up with a coherent answer to these visitors that may as well have appeared out of nowhere. 

Forty Minutes Later  
In Aldera’s Royal Palace

“Well, I never thought that I would be walking within the royal palace of Alderaan after it’s destruction, but I guess anything’s possible in this, or any timeline.” Tau said in amazement of the palace’s peaceful impression in the Force. 

“Indeed, Tau. It reminds me of the halls of Imladris in how peaceful and beautiful it is.” Celebion confirmed in wonder of the reminders between one of the Elves’ strongholds on Arda and the peaceful residence of the most prominent royal family of Alderaan.

“At least is isn’t as advanced as Coruscant. I always enjoy seeing planets with more nature than technology.” Nagme said in equal enjoyment of the fresh air that she felt a few minutes ago as everyone entered the palace under the escort of Ferus, Captain Raymus Antilles, and a dozen-man squad of Senator Organa’s royal guard. 

After about ten minutes of walking through what appeared to be a maze of hallways, the group arrived at what appeared to be a dead end. Tau, seeing where this was going, said, “So, what’s the password or secret mechanism for entering what I assume to be the secret meeting place, as imagine that it’s mechanically activated, given how much Alderaan values its past?” 

“Very astute of you, Jedi Palpatine.” Captain Antilles calmly stated as he came up to a tile wall and began to press on the tiles in a specific order. After pressing the tenth tile, the door slowly opened to reveal an ancient library, where the eight individuals entered to find Senators Bail Prestor Organa, Garm Bel Iblis, and Mon Mothma, as well as Ahsoka Tano, sitting around of a conference table that had the symbol of House Organa embedded on its top, while the honor guard entered the room and surrounded the table by one guard covering each of the twelve chairs. 

Deciding to break the ice, Tau humbly bowed as he said, “Greetings, Senators Organa, Mothma, and Bel Iblis. Greetings, Commander Tano. As Senator Organa has no doubt told you, my name is Tau Palpatine, and it is a true honor to be in the presence of four legendary heroes such as yourselves.” 

“Well, this Palpatine seems just as trustworthy and honest as his namesake.” Garm sarcastically said before his tone turned serious, and continued, saying, “Why have you called us here, and what information did you acquire of our plans?” The Corellian’s blunt attitude annoyed Mon and Bail, while Ahoska slightly smirked at her superior’s skepticism. 

“Well, Senator Bel Iblis, I appreciate your honesty and frankness, as we could sorely use more of that in this age of dancing around or ignoring truly important issues.” Tau gratefully said before he motioned to his companions to sit down, and he followed suit. He then adopted a grim attitude, and said, “To put it bluntly, we’re talking about saving the lives of trillions, perhaps quadrillions, of people over the span of seventy-two years from threats even more insidious than my ancestor.” Sensing in the Force that everyone was now paying close attention to what he was saying, he said in a businesslike tone, “Now, let’s begin this meeting, and talk about forming what I like to call the Shadow Alliance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this ends the first full chapter of my seventh story. So, what did you guys think? And, before you say anything, I started working on this chapter two days ago because I couldn’t upload the Dramatis Personae until yesterday, even though I finished it two nights ago, on January 5, 2017. Now then, I can’t wait to take you all deeper into Squasher’s brilliant saga, as it will be a ride that you’ve never been on before. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you (Don’t worry, you’ll understand the Iluvatar mention after you read the next couple of chapters of my story.), and Long Live the Star Wars Expanded Universe!


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone! How’s everyone doing on the night of January 7, 2018, which is below freezing where I am right now? Aside from the cold, I’m doing well, as I’ve been reading Mass Effect: Andromeda: Initiation, and playing the Xbox One version of Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, and both the book and game are very impressive, while I like the game a bit more than the book. Anyway, here’s a fair warning for you, fellow fanfiction reader: this chapter will be very long, as it will come with A LOT of explanations, many of which will no doubt need to be revised before they can be revealed in this story, so it may take at least a week to publish it. I hope that it comes soon, but it may take a while. Just giving you guys a heads up. So, let’s get started with the story.

“The ‘Shadow Alliance’? Exactly what kind of name is that?” Ahsoka said in a tone that displayed more curiosity than anger, despite the revelation that a descendant of Emperor Palpatine was speaking in front of them, and a Jedi Knight, no less, which implied that, if he was telling the truth about coming from the future, the Jedi Order was resurrected. 

“That is exactly what I said when he proposed the name, Commander Tano.” Said the man that was dressed in an armor that was reminiscent of an ancient society that had not developed space travel, the man that Senator Organa had told them his name was Celebion. 

“The kind of name that my brother came up with. It also represents how our organization will fight until we have control of the Galactic Empire, and can truly prepare the galaxy for what is to come.” Tau said in a cryptic tone that carried what she suspected to be dread, as Ahsoka could sense an underlying feeling of fear enter his mind as he spoke.

“Pardon me, but I think that we should first know if we can even believe you, Mister Palpatine.” Mon Mothma cautiously said as she kept her face neutral, which Ahsoka expected from her, having met her several times, both before and after the formation of the Empire. 

“Fair enough, Senator Mothma. One thing, though. Just call me ‘Tau’”, as we’ll be working as equals soon, and I’d prefer to be called by my name.” Tau courteously said as he took a deep breath, and pulled something out of his backpack that made Ahsoka’s eyes widen in surprise, as she recognized the blue-colored pyramid-shaped object instantly. 

“You have a Jedi holocron in your possession?” Ahsoka said in a tone of disbelief, as she knew that most, if not all, Jedi holocrons were in the possession of Palpatine and his cronies.

“That is correct, Ahsoka. It was my brother’s holocron that he constructed himself when he was only a kid.” Tau said before he adopted a melancholy look, and began to sadly say, “His name was Edaan Palpatine, and he was a better Jedi than I could ever hope to be. He was the first one to create a Shadow Alliance, and he did it without compromising his honor, which I fear we will have to do in order to stop my ancestor’s mad schemes and protect the galaxy. And, he was the one who took a chance on me when everyone else would have killed me.” Realizing that there was no going back now, he continued, saying, “You see, I’m… I’m a clone, or rather, an Iteration, of Edaan. Force grown in the span of a few days through a combination of an advanced Spaarti Cloning chamber, a Rakatan artifact that copied Edaan’s memories into mine, and ysalamiri in order to prevent psychosis from driving me mad from the forced accelerated growth process.” 

As each of the leaders and guards of the nascent rebellion stared at Tau in disbelief, Ahsoka looked at Tau and said, “Open the holocron.”

“What for?” Tau said in curiosity, as he always planned to open the holocron and warn the galaxy of the Yuuzhan Vong, the Killiks, Abeloth, and the threats lurking in the Unknown Regions. 

“So I can see if you’re telling the truth, as holocrons can’t lie.” Ahsoka calmly responded to Tau’s seemingly innocent question.

“Fair enough.” Tau simply replied as he used the Force to activate the holocron, and the edges of the holocron separated slightly as it levitated off of the ground and glowed from the artifact’s core. 

After a couple of seconds, the image of a man who looked almost as old as Tau came to life, and said, “Greetings, Jedi. My name is Edaan Palpatine. What do you wish to learn about, young student of the Force?” 

“Ahsoka, Ferus, what exactly are we looking at here?” Garm said as he stared at the projection of who he assumed to be a younger Tau. 

“This is a Jedi holocron, perhaps the most important artifact that the Jedi Order possessed. It’s basically a recorder that you can interact with, only that it has to be activated by a Force User. Many Jedi Knights and Masters used them to record their experiences and lessons within them so that they can survive the person’s death. I just never thought that I would see one again after the Order’s fall.” Ahsoka said with a childlike wonder that she did no know that she still possessed. 

Shaking herself from her daze, she said, “How much information does this holocron contain?” 

“Well, it contains the knowledge and teachings of one of the first Jedi Knights of all time, Tau, you wouldn’t have heard about him, who is also who I got my name from, Revan after his final death on Yavin IV, Meetra Surik, the exiled Jedi who stopped the Sith Triumvirate, Qui-Gon Jinn, who I’m sure that you’re all familiar with, and a Jedi of the Jedi Order of my time, Jacen Solo. Oh, it also has a great deal of history that my brother gathered about the past and future, and I recorded all of Edaan’s memories into this holocron so that the Jedi of any time could learn from him and his example.” Tau explained, while leaving a few details out that could compromise his plans, such as how four of his brother’s masters were servants of the Dark Side of the Force at one or more points of their lives. 

“I see.” Mon said in curiosity before she turnnd her head to face Ahsoka and Ferus, and she said, “Can you two verify Tau’s claims, as we do not want to be deceived by another Palpatine?” 

“He’s telling the truth.” Both Ahsoka and Ferus said simultaneously. They then looked at each other with a confused look for a moment before Ferus said, “I can sense a darkness to him, but, unlike his ancestor, he isn’t hiding it. It feels like he’s carrying it as a burden that he feels that he needs to carry.” Ahsoka nodded in agreement, which put the minds of the three senators at least partially at ease. She then said, “But what I don’t understand is that how can these Jedi speak to you, because after a Jedi dies, they become a part of the Unifying Force, and lose their individuality.”

“Not entirely true, Ahsoka. A few Jedi have been able to preserve their consciousness and return from the Netherworld of the Force to the world of the living. And, it helps that my brother had a… I guess you can call it a pull with the dead, as his grief called these Jedi to him, and they helped him master the full extent of his powers.” Tau academically explained. 

“Well, now that we know that he’s telling the truth, why have you come to us, Tau? If you are from the future, what threats could be so dangerous that we would need to keep the Empire intact, as our goal is to build an alliance to restore the Galactic Republic, as you no doubt know?” Garm queried, eager to get this meeting back on track. 

“Well, for starters, the invasion by my people, the Yuuzhan Vong.” Nagme sadly said before she looked at Tau, who gave a nod of approval, and moved her hands to her face, pressed down on it, and her look changed from that of a human’s to that of a six-foot eight-inches humanoid woman with heavy scarring, intricate tattoos, grey skin, and a left hand that appeared to be a organic prosthetic.” 

The royal guard immediately pulled out their blasters on Nagme, and she said as politely as she could through her nervous shaking at the prospect of being killed by a dozen blasts of concentrated energy, “Senator Organa, don’t worry, I mean you and your comrades no harm. Now, could you please tell your guards to lower their blasters, because they’re making me very uncomfortable?” 

“Of-of course, Madame.” Bail numbly said as he motioned with his hand for the guards to lower their blasters.

However, before they could be completely lowered, Ahsoka suddenly said, “Hold on, Senator Organa. You might want to keep them up, because I can’t sense her through the Force, which makes no sense, as even droids give off some Force impression.” 

“That can be explained, Ahsoka. You see, the Yuuzhan Vong species was cut off from the Force in their own galaxy by their sentient planet, Yuuzhan'tar, over fifteen thousand years ago, not long after their war with two droid species that invaded their galaxy, and they have been traveling through dark space ever since. It was only fifteen years ago that they decided to invade our galaxy, and Nagme was sent here along with a small force to scout and prepare the galaxy for invasion.” Tau explained in a tone that would befit someone talking about the weather, not an intergalactic invasion by a war-obsessed species. After a moment, he then said, “Please tell your guards to lower their blasters, as I don’t want to have to take them away, because that would be a poor way to start an alliance.” 

“Very well.” Bail simply said, motioning for the guards to once again lower their weapons. Once that was done, he said, “Start talking.” 

Two Hours Later 

“Okay, okay. Let me see if we have this understood. You’re saying that in about forty years, our galaxy will be invaded by an intergalactic species that worships warmongering gods, and will almost break the galaxy before being defeated in a four-year war by what you called the… Galactic Alliance, which was formed from the remnants of the New Republic?” Ferus said as he struggled to process all of the information that everyone just learned about this new threat.

“That is correct, Ferus. Afterwards, they will be exiled to the seedworld of Yuuzhan'tar, Zonama Sekot in order to eventually be rehabilitated into our galaxy.” Tau finished as he concluded his two-hour explanation about the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion. He then sipped his second mug of hot chocolate, which he enjoyed immensely, as it was a rare drink in his age, and he was going to enjoy every last sweet drop of it. 

“And that’s why you feel that we need the Empire intact? To stop the Yuuzhan Vong? If the Empire couldn’t beat our rebellion, what makes you think that the Empire can stop the Yuuzhan Vong?” Mon skeptically said, her head now full of doubts of her compatriots’ plans. 

“Not the Empire itself, Senator. It would take the entire galaxy to beat the Yuuzhan Vong, and no single galactic government can beat the Yuuzhan Vong. It’s going to take everyone, and that means that the Empire would have to be reformed from the inside out in order to welcome every species into its ranks, eliminate corruption, bigotry, and slavery, and devise weapons, ships, and strategies that are capable of beating the Yuuzhan Vong until they relent. And Nagme, her fellow defectors, and my holobooks that I brought along for you to copy for your own usage.” Tau countered as he explained his reasoning. 

“Well, at least you have noble goals.” Ahsoka said as she realized that this wasn’t the end of Tau’s meeting, and she said, “You said ‘a myriad of threats’, and the Yuuzhan Vong are only one threat. What are the others?” 

“Very astute of you to notice, Ahsoka.” Tau said in praise of Ahsoka’s skills of paying attention, and continued, saying, “Well, there’s the Killiks, who currently reside in the Unknown Regions, and we’ll need a series of bulwarks if they every try to expand their borders, the Knights of Opalka, an fanatic anti-Force group that wants to eradicate all Force-Sensitives, the Nephilim, and rogue Celestials and their forces that are either being fought by my friends in the Unknown Regions, or are gathering their strength in remote locations in known space. Oh, and let’s not forget Abeloth, the Celestial abomination that is currently imprisoned in the Maw Cluster.” 

“I’m sorry, did you just say ‘rogue Celestials’? As in the Celestials that are credited with creating the universe?!?” Garm said as his voice rose with apprehension at the thought of facing what basically amounted to gods.

“I’m afraid so, Senator Bel Iblis.” Tau sadly said as he took another sip of his hot chocolate. 

“Wait. Back up a little bit, Tau.” Bail interjected into the conversation, and he continued, his voice full of cautious hope as he said, “You said you helped friends in the Unknown Regions before coming here. Were two of these friends Daniel Valo and Vega Ryal?” 

“Actually, yes, Senator. They’re both alive and well, and send you their regards, as does Rarok. They would have come with me, but they had to stay help Viridian Mallory and the rest of their friends and fellow Jedi build an army in the Unknown Regions and eliminating many threats to the galaxy.” Tau said in a sympathetic tone, which made Bail breathe a sigh of relief, as he had not heard from the two young Jedi in approximately four years after he sent the Mandalorian mercenary Rarok to keep them safe. 

“Well, clearly we have much more to talk about when this meeting was over, Senator Organa.” Ahsoka said with a mixture of irritation and relief, as she wished that she had been told of several surviving Jedi, but relieved to know that they were still alive and fighting for the freedom of others. She then continued to speak, saying, “Getting back on track, however, do you have any proof to back up these claims, Tau, as extragalactic invaders are bad enough, but we don’t have anything that can stand up to the creators of the universe?” Ahsoka said, the fear evident in her voice, as, despite her verbal skepticism, she could sense that Tau was telling the truth about these threats. 

“As a matter of fact, Ahsoka, I can provide you with the proof that you desire, as well as the weapons that can deal with them when the time comes. But, you’ll have to go into my mind to do so, as it will take too long to fully explain to everyone the magnitude of the threat that we will one day face, and, let me tell you, I have a lot of unpleasant memories in here from both my life and my brother’s.” Tau warned. 

“Thanks for the warning, Tau, but I’ve seen a lot of dark stuff, too, so I’m sure that I can handle it.” Ahsoka confidently said. 

The Togruta then walked over to Tau, kneeled next to him, and placed her hands on the older Jedi’s temples. Once she did so, a torrent of memories flooded into her mind, and she was barely able to keep up with them. She saw Edaan Palpatine’s childhood, to the loss of his family to Abeloth’s groundquakes and volcanoes that she created on Coruscant through the Dark Side of the Force, his apprenticeship to Ben Skywalker, which she made a mental note of for later after the shock wore off, his lessons from his five deceased masters, the friendships and alliances that he made in order to redeem a Sith Lady named Vestara Khai, the invasion of a planet named Kesh that housed the descendents of survivors of the first Sith Empire before its fall during the Great Hyperspace War, how Edaan met his future wife, Adari Thayn Palpatine, his self-appointed mission with a handful of friends, and a reprogrammed R2-D2, to find and redeem Vestara Khai, and his formation of the Shadow Alliance with the Galactic Alliance, the Confederation, the Fel Empire, Hapes Consortium, the Hutts, Mandalorians, Jedi Order, a government called the Chiss Ascendancy, which Ahsoka did not recognize, and the forces of various planets and organizations that Edaan had pull with during his ten years as Ben’s apprentice. 

She saw how he crippled the galactic underworld, defeated a madwoman named Natasi Daala with the help of Boba Fett, who was, apparently the Mand’alor, the leader of his people, the Mandalorians, which greatly shocked Ahsoka, and took the fight to the One Sith on the graveyard world of Korriban, all the while redeeming Vestara Khai and reuniting her with her future husband, Ben. She saw how Edaan died destroying Darth Krayt, the leader of the One Sith, Edaan’s death almost immediately afterwards, and him making Tau promise him to follow his own path and be a servant of the Light Side of the Force before he became One with the Force.

The memories then took her to a world that he identified as Arda, where the Celestials mainly resided as gods known as the Valar, and the greatest of them was named Iluvatar, who the natives there revered, not worshipped, as they didn’t consider themelves to be gods. She learned the history of Middle-Earth through the words of Tau’s friends, including now-Jedi Knight Viridian Mallory, who had formed a romantic relationship with his longtime friend Kes, which pleased Ahsoka, as she knew how strong love could be from seeing so many people across the galaxy.

She learned of the fall of the Vala who would eventually be called “Morgoth”, and how he nearly destroyed Arda before the rest of the Valar intervened. Morgoth was imprisoned for all of time, but several of his lesser servants, Maia such as Sauron, the greatest general of Morgoth’s forces, survived, and either stayed on Arda, or fled into the Unknown Regions. She saw how the Tau, Viridian and their fellow Jedi met Iluvatar, and gave each of them swords and other weapons that could kill a Maia for good, and how they were sent by a magical artifact known as a Palantir to a world near the Unknown Regions, which was full of Jedi ruins that contained an ancient race known as the Nephilim, where they met up with Danial Valo and his friends, and embarked on a mission to Coruscant to infiltrate the Jedi Temple in order to find the antidote to a Sith poison that was killing Daniel’s friends, where they came face-to-face with Darth Vader, who… Wait. Ahsoka mentally said, as she recognized the Force Presence of Vader, despite the overwhelming rage and loathing that came pouring off of Vader, and ceased the connection between her and Tau. 

She immediately stood up, and she shivered violently as she took several sobbing breaths, which made everyone look at her as if she had seen a ghost or unpleasant memory. After a minute of silently crying, she turned to Tau, who had a look of great sympathy on his face, and said, “Was…” She took a gulp of fresh air, and tried again. “Was that who I think it was, Tau?” 

“Yes, I’m afraid so, Ahsoka.” Tau softly said, before he spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, and he sadly said, “Anakin Skywalker is alive as Darth Vader, and is serving the Empire as Sidious’s apprentice, who is my ancestor, Emperor Palpatine.” 

Both senator Mothma and Bel Iblis were aghast at this revelation, while Bail, Captain Antilles, and Ferus shamefully lowered their heads down at this fact being known to even more people. 

“How?” Ahsoka said with a horror-filled voice, before she continued, saying, “Why?!” 

“Because his desire to not lose Padme was so strong, it made him forsake all of his other oaths of loyalty, even to you and Obi-Wan.” Tau simply said before he put a comforting hand on her shoulder and gently said, “I can tell you the whole story later on my ship so that you can vent when you learn everything.” 

After an awkward minute passed, Mon remembered something about Vader that Bail told her after the Empire enslaved Kashyyyk two months after its formation, and hesitatingly said, “Bail? Did you know about this?” 

“This caused everyone to look at him with suspicion, and the Alderaanian Senator shamefully said, “Yes. I knew all about Sidious and Vader.” 

This made Garm rise from the table and violently slam his fist on the ground, accusingly shouting at the top of his lungs, “WHAT IN THE NINE CORELLIAN HELLS WERE YOU THINKING, BAIL?!?! Didn’t you think that we had the right to know that the so-called “Hero With No Fear” was serving as Palpatine’s personal lackey? What else have you been keeping from us?” 

“Hold on, Senator Bel Iblis!” Celebion heatedly said as he rose to his feet in defense of Bail, saying, “Yes, Senator Organa should have told you about Vader’s true identity, but he had legitimate reasons for doing so. He was most likely afraid of what you would do when given this information, as this rebellion depends on secrecy and cunning over brute force, and you would be made targets of Sidious’s empire, as he would have you and your kin killed immediately if he even suspected that you knew of his and Vader’s true identities.” 

“And what, pray tell, secrets could be so important that Bail would keep such vital information away from us?” Garm sarcastically said as he struggled to keep his well-known passion and anger in check. 

“The safety of Anakin and Padme’s children, Senator Bel Iblis.” Tau simply said, seeing no need to dance around the issue. As he felt the stares of the Senators and allies of Bail staring at him, he continued to speak, saying, “In my time, they, along with their friends and loved ones, were credited with saving the galaxy from the Empire, Yuuzhan Vong, Killiks, and so many other threats. So, it’s natural that Senator Organa would take every precaution to keep this knowledge from falling into the wrong hands. 

Ferus, not disagreeing with the Corellian Senator’s stance, but, feeling obliged to say something, stood up from his seat and said, “I knew all about Anakin’s fate, as well as his children, so I deserve some of the blame, Senator Bel Iblis.” 

Captain Antillles stood up as well, and said, “So do I, because I knew as well.” 

“And you didn’t three think that we deserved to know about this? How can we trust any of you if you kept such a huge secret from us? What else have you not told us about?” Mon said in disbelief.

“Plenty, Senator Mothma. But, in his defense, he had many good reasons for doing so, which my friends and I will be more than happy to tell you about in a few hours, once we’ve all cooled down from the revelations of today. And, could we have the meeting in my ship, please, as all of my records are there, and I’d like to distribute them to you so that we can begin preparations for the coming wars?” Tau said in defense of Bail, which the senator nodded in a gesture of appreciation to both him and Celebion, before he rose for his seat, and motioned for his friends to do so as Nagme reverted back to her human disguise. But, before he left, he said, “Thank you for the hot chocolate, Senator, as it was delicious. Ahsoka, why don’t you come with me, as we have a lot to talk about before the next round of meetings?”

“Y-yes. I think that that would be a good idea, Tau.” Ahsoka shakily said as she wiped away the tears that were pooling in her eyes, and cast a look of shame and betrayal at Bail before she followed Tau and his friends. 

“For your sake, you’d better have a good reason for keeping this from us, Bail, or you’re out of the rebellion.” Garm disgustingly said as he angrily stormed out of the room, with Mon casting a look of bitterness at Bail before she too left, leaving the ashamed senator with Ferus, Raymus, and his twelve honor guards who quickly left the room in order to give the viceroy some breathing room. 

“By the Force, what have I done?” Bail said as he began to realize that the rebellion was on the precipice of unraveling due to his secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, cut! Wow! That was a bracing chapter. And it only took me two days to write it. Now that’s great time! It’s fortunate that I didn’t have to work today, and that I’m still off from school, otherwise, it would have likely taken much longer to complete the first of several chapters that truly begin the Shadow Alliance in the known galaxy. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I decided to break up the chapter, as I wanted to give everyone some time to process the newfound information. So, what did you guys think of the latest chapter? As always, be honest, but be constructive, as I don’t like trolls. Well, next chapter will deal with Ahsoka coming to grips with what she’s just learned, and the next round of meetings for the Shadow Alliance’s formation begin. I hope that you enjoy, as they will be even better than this chapter. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning, everyone! How are you doing on the cool morning of January 9, 2018? I’m doing well, if a little tired, as I went to bed a little late. So, are you ready for another intriguing chapter of this addition of Squasher’s saga, as it will deal with the revelations of the previous chapter? Oh, before I forget, I finished reading my Mass Effect book, and have started reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s The History of Middle-Earth: Volume 11: The War of the Jewels. It’s a really interesting book, well, at least the parts that I’ve read so far, which isn’t too much. Well, I’d better get started on writing this chapter, as I’m running out of free time, what, with school starting back up for me in two days. Without further adieu, let’s get to it!
> 
> (January 10, 2018 Addendum.) Good afternoon, everyone. How are you doing today? I’m doing well, but I’m a little depressed, as today is the tenth anniversary of my grandmother’s death, and I really miss her. My mother and I visited her and my grandfather’s grave today in order to pay our respects for them. In other news, tomorrow is the first day of the final semester at community college, and I want to finish this chapter before that happens. So, I’d better get to work, as I have a lot to do, and so little time to do it. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me.

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

“Nice ship.” Ahsoka said as she struggled to fight off the influx of tears that were pooling in her eyes. As the tears quickly fell, she sobbed out, “It reminds me of the _Twilight_.”

 

Tau knew that she was referring to the G9 Rigger freighter that Anakin Skywalker had “acquisitioned” from Jabba the Hutt’s residence on Teth during the Clone War mission to rescue Jabba’s son, Rota the Huttlet, from Separatist clutches. He said in sympathy, “I imagine that it does, Ahsoka. This ship has a lot of special modifications that surpass any current YT-1300 in speed, maneuverability, and firepower.”

 

Realizing that Ahsoka didn’t need a list of his ship’s specs, but she needed a friend now, he decided to sit right next to her behind the dejarik table, and sympathetically said, “I imagine that you want to know how Anakin… became Vader.”

 

“Yes. Don’t spare me any details, Tau. I need to know how I failed him.” Ahsoka despondently said, which saddened Tau, as he knew that nothing that she could have done could have prevented his fall to the Dark Side.

 

Knowing that Ahsoka deserved to know the truth, he nodded in agreement, and began to speak, saying, “Well, Ahsoka, it began near the end of the Clone War-actually, it began just before the First Battle of Geonosis, when Anakin discovered his dying mother after she was brutalized by Tusken Raiders for about a month. She died in Anakin’s arms after he came to rescue her. Needless to say, he didn’t take it well. In his anger and lust for blood, he…” He hesitated, fearing what would happen if he continued, before he made up his mind, and said, “He slaughtered the entire tribe of Tuskens, including the women and children.”

 

Ahsoka looked at Tau with an aghast look of horror upon realizing that her master killed innocents before he met her, and she numbly looked onto the ground as she struggled to process this information. She eventually said, “Did anyone know of this… atrocity?”

 

“Well, Padme knew when he told her shortly after, and A’Sharad Hett knew when Anakin tried to kill him on Aarognar over a year later due to desert fever. So did Qui-Gon Jinn’s spirit, and Obi-Wan found out two years ago, just before he confronted and banished A’Sharad off of Tatooine when he became a merciless warlord for the Tuskens. Other than that, no one else knew of this until the early years of the New Republic.” Tau slowly said, allowing Ahsoka time to absorb this knowledge.

 

Suddenly, so many things about her former master made sense, such as his disdain for Tatooine, and the simmering anger that she often sensed deep within Anakin’s soul when they engaged the Confederate forces during the Clone War.

 

Wanting to move onto another topic, she said, “What else caused Anakin to fall?”

 

“My ancestor’s influence on him, which was at its height after you decided to leave the Jedi Order- Which I commend, by the way, as the Council was mainly comprised of a bunch of _di’kuts_ for expelling you just to save face with a bunch of corrupt and backstabbing senators, your friends and compatriots notwithstanding, of course.” Tau said in both praise and disgust of Ahsoka’s decision, and the Old Republic’s deplorable behavior by the end of its life, respectively.

 

The Mandalorian word for “idiots” made Ahsoka laugh despite the emotional trauma that she was experiencing, and she said, “Tell me about it. They all really needed a reality check to see how much their traditions and protocols had become outdated and useless.” She then turned serious, and said, “What was the final factor that caused Anakin to fall?”

 

“It was his experiencing visions of Padme dying while giving birth to their twin children, a boy and a girl. They drove him mad with fear, and, in his desperation to prevent the visions from coming true, he helped kill Mace Windu after he tried to kill Sidious, turned to the Dark Side of the Force, and became Sidious’s new apprentice after he killed Dooku, who dubbed him ‘Darth Vader’. Immediately afterwards, he led the attack on the Jedi Temple that resulted in most of the Jedi being butchered, while Sidious enacted Order Sixty-Six across the galaxy, activating the control chips in the majority of the Clone Troopers, forcing them to comply with murdering their Jedi commanders. Once Obi-Wan found out, he tracked Vader to Mustafar, Ana-Vader accused Padme of bringing him there to kill him, force choked her, and Obi-Wan and Vader dueled, which left Vader without his legs and left arm, and severely burned, which forced him to don the life-preserving suit that he now wears.”

 

Ahsoka could hardly believe what she was hearing: her former master had willingly complied in the destruction of the Jedi Order, and all to save his wife from dying, who he later strangled, which doomed the galaxy and the Force to an age of darkness. Realizing that there were still questions that she still had to have answered, she said, “What happened to Padme afterwards?”

 

“She was taken to Polis Massa to be treated for her injuries, where Master Yoda and Senator Organa rendezvoused with her and Obi-Wan but, instead, she died from losing the will to live, but not before she was able to give birth to twins, Luke and Leia.” Tau said, which made Ahsoka’s eyes widen in shock, as she immediately recognized the latter’s name, given that she had seen her many times over the last two years.

 

“You mean… Leia is Anakin’s daughter!?” Ahsoka said as she stood up from her seat and angrily said, “I can’t believe Bail didn’t trust me with this knowledge! We could have been training her to use her gifts in the Force for good instead of just ignoring them!”

 

“That wasn’t the plan that Bail, Obi-Wan, and Yoda agreed on, Ahsoka. Their plan was to wait until Luke and Leia had grown up enough as normal people, as well as to build up a rebellion that was capable of destroying the Sith. Unfortunately, that plan needs to change in order to meet the threats that are coming.” Tau said in a scolding but sympathetic tone. 

 

“Tell me about it.” Ahsoka said as she sat back down after Tau placed a comforting hand on her arm. Gathering her chaotic thoughts, she remembered something that Tau had previously said, and asked, “Who else escaped the fall of the Jedi Temple, as I didn’t hear about any Jedi making it out alive?”

 

“Well, the only three Council members to escape was Shaak Ti, who engineered the escape of several Masters and their Padawans; Even Piell, who died two months later in Coruscant’s underworld; and Depa Billaba, who helped Jasmine Yajk, Kes Amnetesi, Du Epin, Xey Pen, and Viridian Mallory, and the former was captured and turned by Vader two years ago on a now-subjugated world known as Carthean before her redemption on Arda. Oh,and there was Kazdan Paratus, who fled the battle in fear along with a handful of prototype droids, along with Jin-Lo-Rayce, Sha Koon, who later died in a failed ambush against Vader, Jax Pavan and Laranth Turak, the latter of which is now dead, and Daniel Valo, and Vega Ryal, who escaped the Temple with a few Antarian Rangers, and later joined forces with a few surviving Jedi, clones who didn’t follow Order Sixty-Six, and, here’s the kicker, Asajj Ventress, who I met up with when we helped rescue them from Vader’s clutches. Practically everyone else was killed by Vader and the Clones, I’m afraid.” Tau said as he listed off the list of names that were ingrained into his brain from Edaan’s memories before his tone turned grim at the end. 

 

After Ahsoka took a moment to be amazed at Tau’s knowledge and memories, and the fact that at least a few Jedi survived the ongoing Jedi purge, she recognized a particular name, and said, “Wait, wait, wait. You’re telling me that Asajj Ventress, Dooku’s most prized assassin and Dark Jedi, is working with Jedi to help do good in the galaxy, after all of the blood that she spilled for the Sith?!?”

 

“Well, it isn’t as simple as that Ahsoka, but, in essence, yes. She is helping our cause in the Unknown Regions.” Tau said as he saw Butch come up to him and snuggled on Tau’s feet, which caused Tau to smile at his friend’s adoration of him, while Ahsoka looked dumbfounded at what she saw unfold.

 

“And how, pray tell, did you get a Tuk’ata to follow you?” Ahsoka numbly asked.

 

“Long story short, Ahsoka, Edaan put a piece of his life force into Butch in order to bring him over to his side, as he and his strike force needed help to navigate the catacombs of Korriban, which, ironically, will be useful, as we will need to head there soon to stop A’Sharad Hett from falling deeper into the Dark Side of the Force and becoming Darth Krayt, my time’s latest Dark Lord of the SIth.” Tau casually said as if he was talking about gossip, and not the fate of a legendary Jedi Master.

 

After about a moment, Ahsoka said, “Why don’t you start from the beginning, as I feel that we have a lot to talk about before the next meeting with Senator Organa?”

 

“Gladly, Ahsoka, as we have many threats to discuss and prepare for before they come.” As he prepared to speak, he saw R9-G6 roll away to the engines, he called out, “Hey, Arnine, could you compile a complete record of the Second Chance’s sensors and flight records, as we’re going to need them for the next meeting with Senator Organa? And, why don ‘t you come with us when we head back to the palacy, as you could use the exercise and fresh air?”

 

Upon hearing the joke, Arnine blew a raspberry and rolled away, heading to the ship’s cockpit in order to get the necessary files. Ahsoka smiled at the banter between two obvious friends, and she felt a pang of sadness over R2-D2 and C-3PO’s disappearance that happened about a year ago during a routine training exercise.

 

Deciding to shake herself out of her melancholy, she asked in curiosity to Tau, “There are R9 droid models out in your time? I thought that they were still working on the R6 model?”

 

“Yeah. They may have better hardware and software than the other models, but they can’t beat R2-D2 and his dynamic personality.” Tau said with a hint of nostalgia as he remembered the adventures that his brother and the astromech droid had went on before the former’s death. Shaking himself out of those thoughts, he decided to get the conversation back on track and said, “So, you know about Sauron and the Yuuzhan Vong, but let me tell you about the Killiks, Abeloth, and Darth Krayt.”

 

_Two Hours Later, in the Dining Hall of the Royal Palace of Aldera_  
  


“So, that’s it. That’s the whole story.” Bail said with an air of finality as he finished telling how Emperor Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker were the Dark Lords of the Sith, and how he, Obi-Wan and Yoda, devised a plan to hide and protect Anakin and Padme’s children, who they considered to be the last hope for a free galaxy, as well as any surviving Jedi that Bail and his resistance network found, such as Ylenic It’kla, Rahm Kota, Kazdan Paratus, Qu Rahn, Shaak Ti.

 

“I… I can’t believe this. Palpatine and his damned Sith Order must have planned the Clone War for decades, maybe even centuries.” Garm said in an uncharacteristic quiet voice.

 

“And the Clone Troopers, Jedi, and Senate were just game pieces in his scheme. He kept us off-balance as he stole more and more power from the Constitution and people until it was too late to do anything to effectively oppose him.” Mon said as she finally grasped the scope of Palpatine-no _Sidious’s_ maliciousness and unquenchable lust for power.

 

“Don’t forget about the corporate powers that were more than willing to be a part of his civil war just to gain unlimited profits and power.” Akuu said as he, Tau, Ahsoka, Butch, Arnine, Jarael, Celebion, Uriel, and Nagme entered Bail’s antechamber.

 

They then took their seats at the table, and Bail said, “Thank you, my friends, for giving us time to explain the full situation to Garm and Mon.”

 

“Indeed. After my anger calmed down enough, Senator Mothma convinced me to hear out Senator Organa’s explanation, and he has more than made up for the secrets that he kept from us.” Garm graciously said as he nodded in appreciation of his Chandrilan counterpart.

 

“That’s good, because we still have a great deal to discuss, Senators.” Celebion said in gratitude of the three politicians rebuilding the trust that everyone would need in order to overthrow Sidious and his minions.

 

“Yes. Starting with Jedi Master A’Sharad Hett, who, in my time, was Darth Krayt, the most recent leader of the Sith.” Tau gravely said, which caused Bail, Mon, Garm, Ferus, and Raymus to look at him as if he had grown a second head.

 

“Pardon me, Tau, but, did you just say that A’Sharad Hett, a Jedi Master that was the son of the equally legendary Sharad Hett, also known as “The Howlrunner”, lives long enough to become a Dark Lord of the Sith?!? How in the kriffing Force could that have happened?!” Ferus nearly shouted, wanting with all of his heart to disbelieve that another noble Jedi and war hero fell to the Dark Side of the Force.

 

“Slowly.” Jarael said for the first time since she met the founders of the Rebel Alliance, before she continued, saying, “It started at Order Sixty-Six, which Hett barely managed to escape. He then traveled to Tatooine, where he vowed to raise an army capable of taking the fight to the Empire. Unfortunately, he fell to he Dark Side in a lust for blood as a Tusken Warlord, and instead massacred many settlers in a brutal expansion campaign over the first two years of the Empire’s rule. He was only stopped from conquering the whole planet by Master Kenobi, who cut off Hett’s right arm up to his elbow in a lightsaber duel, and then banished him from Tatooine. Don’t worry, he didn’t reveal Luke’s presence, so you can rest easy there.” She stopped to ease Bail’s mind after he heard the mention of Tatooine.

 

She then continued, and said, “After his banishment and acquirement of a prosthetic hand, he became a bounty hunter that killed without remorse, and eventually tracked a bounty to Korriban, where he beheaded Resk, and then found a Sith Holcron that instructed Hett, who wanted to learn the secrets of the Dark Side in an attempt to use it to destroy the Sith. Unknown to Hett, however, he spent around forty-one years in the tomb, and emerged from the tomb long after the deaths of both Sidious and Vader, just before the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy. Bereft of a purpose, he fled into the Unknown Regions in order to lose himself, only to run into a Yuuzhan Vong scout force. There, he met the last person that a Jedi would want to meet. A fallen Jedi/Sith Acolyte known as Vergere, who was a former apprentice of Sidious before she fled the known galaxy to escape him, and ran into the Yuuzhan Vong.”

 

“Hold on, Jarael.” Ferus interjected, struggling to comprehend what he had just heard, as he knew about Vergere’s disappearance, but not her fall to darkness. “You’re telling me that Vergere was a student of Sidious, and no one in the entire Jedi Order knew about it?”

 

“I’m sorry, Mister Olin, but that is what happened. She resented the Order’s inflexible control over its followers, and sought out other schools of the Force, including those that studied the Dark Side, which is how she met Sidious.” Jarael said in confirmation before she continued, saying, “Anyway, back to the story. So, A’Sharad Hett was, over the next several months, convinced by Vergere to become a Sith Lord, but from there, their paths diverged, as Hett wanted a Sith Order of many Sith that were united by a common goal, while Vergere wanted to resurrect the Rule of Two. Unable to reconcile their differences’ she left Hett to his fate, and Hett, now fully surrendered to the Dark Side as Darth Krayt, killed everyone onboard the ship, and fled to Korriban, where he started a new Sith Order known as the One Sith. Over the next thirty-two years, his Sith grew in number until they amounted to over two thousand Sith, and had many proxies and minions in order to destabilize the galaxy for a Sith takeover. Of course, he did expose himself to stop the Celestial abomination known as Abeloth, we’ll get back to that later, but it was only thanks to Edaan’s efforts that his hand was forced, his plans were foiled, and he and his entire Sith order were destroyed by Edaan’s Shadow Alliance, though at the cost of Edaan’s life, and many others.” Jarael took a deep breath to gather herself, as she had spoken near nonstop for about four minutes, which took a great deal of air out of her lungs.

 

No one spoke for a full minute, the senators for shock over this latest piece of bad news, and Tau and his friends for honoring Edaan’s memory, whether or not they met him or not.

 

“How could he have fallen so far?” Mon said in sadness and pity for a great Jedi Master.

 

“Best guess, he lost too much, and he lost control, so he did whatever he could to get the control back, even if it meant that the innocent had to suffer to do so. I’ve seen it before.” Jarael sympathetically said to Mon.

 

“Can you find Hett and either convince him to stop this mad path, or, if worse comes to worst, kill him, Tau, because we can’t leave anything to chance?” Garm said, his simple pragmatism emerging out of the despair that was permeating the room. 

 

“If it comes down to a fight, not alone. I’ll need Ahsoka and Rahm Kota to come with us in order to stand a chance against him, as I could barely keep up with him when Edaan and I fought him.” Tau honestly said, remembering with vivid clarity Edaan’s final battle against him, and the ultimate sacrifice that he made to stop him once and for all. 

 

“Done. I’ll put you in contact with the general in a week, as he’s busy on a mission in the Tion Cluster.” Bail said without hesitation, agreeing with Garm’s idea, with Mon nodding her head in silent acquiesces.

 

“Good. Now then, we need to discuss the Killiks and Abeloth, as the two of them are intertwined together, oh, and the Knights of Olpaka and the Nephilim.” 

 

“Let’s go with the Knights of Olpaka, as they seem like the lesser threat of the four that have been listed so far.” Ferus said, hoping to lighten the mood in any small way that he could.

 

“Good idea.” Mon said as she took a sip of her caf, which was loaded with caffine in order to keep her awake for the rest of the night, because that was how long this meeting would likely take.

 

“Very well.” Celebion gravely said as he spoke, dreading to relive the meeting he had with a high-ranking member of the Force-hating organization, the deceased Roly Meulsar of Imperial Sepcial Forces. “The Knights of Olpaka are based in the Carthean System, and they desire nothing less than the total extermination of any and all Force-practicing tradition and religion. Viridian and his friends fought them for two years before the Empire subjugated the world, and the Knights likely disseminated into the known galaxy. We already encountered one of their best agents, Roly Melusar, and the Jedi killed him with… let’s just say extreme prejudice, as they had many legitimate reasons for hating the vile man.”

 

“What reasons could there be for butchering a man, even if he was a demented maniac?” Mon said, remembering the Holonet reports of several Jedi butchering a man known as Roly Melusar on Coruscant, which she did not believe until now.

 

“In my time, he conspired with a warlord known as Natasi Daala to eradicate all Force-Sensitivity through heinous experimental weapons. And, in this time, he experimented on Xey Pen in order to discover the secrets of Force-Sensitivity, so, despite his tragic past as a slave of the Prophets of the Dark Side on Drommund Kaas before the Knights of Olpaka found him, he got what was coming to him, in this time, or mine.” Tau growled out as his gripped the glass table with his hands, which surprised Bail and the others, as they had not seen Tau get angry before.

 

He then took several breaths in order to calm down, and continued, saying, “This group is very dangerous, as, according to Viridian and his friends, they wear power suits that can make an ordinary person fight on par with a Force-user. And, they won’t stop until all Force-users are either dead, or forever sent into hiding.”

 

“Well, then we need to get our hands on some of their tech, and reverse-engineer it so we can fight them on even footing, or, at the very least, find a way to disable it.” Raymus said with military decisiveness.

 

“Agreed. We’ll need any information that you might have on the Knights of Olpaka, and we’ll start to prepare for them.” Bail said in a voice full of determination, as he did not want to lose Leia to a group of genocidal war criminals. “What about this Abeloth and the Killiks?”

 

“Well, the Killiks will no doubt be involved in this struggle, because they’re the ones who helped construct Centerpoint Station, Sinkhole Station, and the Maw Cluster in order to imprison Abeloth, as she is the antithesis as to what Celestials are, kind of like Morgoth, but not quite as powerful.” Tau said before he was interrupted.

 

“Oh, come on, Tau! How could a bunch of hive-minded insects create a cluster of black holes, not to mention two giant Space Stations?!?” Ferus said in complete disbelief at yet another revelation.

 

“With the help of two other Celestials known as the Son and the Daughter.” Ahsoka gravely said as she remembered her experiences on the artificial world of Mortis. She then recalled the history briefing that Tau told her on the _Second Chance_ , and continued, saying, “The Son and Daughter are- I mean were, the embodiments of the Dark and Light Sides of the Force, respectively, and they were controlled by their father, who was, incidentally, named the Father, who represented the neutral zone between the two spectrums of the Force. At least one hundred thousand years ago, a woman came to the home of the three Celestials, and became a servant of the family. She kept the peace between the Son and Daughter, and, as she grew in age, she became known as the Mother. Unfortunately, this peace was not to last, as the Mother grew jealous of the immortality of the Ones, and, in an effort to not lose her family when she died, she did the forbidden, and drank from the Font of Power, which is a Dark Side nexus, and bathed in the Pool of Knowledge, which transformed her into a monstrosity that was capable of untold destruction. In order to keep her from destroying the galaxy with unchecked chaos, the Son and Daughter joined forces to recruit a Killik hive known as Thuruht in order to create Sinkhole Station as a prison for Abeloth, the Maw Cluster as a maze so that no one could find Abeloth, and Centerpoint Station in order to keep Sinkhole Station working at full capacity. Sadly for us, the Son, Daughter, and Father were killed during the Clone War by a chain of events that Anakin inadvertently started, so we can’t depend on them for help.” She then leaned back in her chair as she remembered how Tau told her about all of the devastation that Abeloth caused when she was released by Darth Ceadus and the Lost Tribe of the Sith.

 

She could hardly believe that she had agreed to keep the secret of a whole planet of Sith from her friends, but she knew that Tau’s friend, the former Sith Apprentice Auron, a former Sith from Vitiate’s Sith Empire, who was working to build a Light-Sided Sith Order in order to help the Jedi defeat the coming threats, and was finding many able recruits on the Wild Space planet of Kesh. She knew that Auron’s mission depended on secrecy and time, which meant that she could not tell anyone. She thought that that was only fair, considering the secrets that Bail kept from her, and a small part of her inwardly chuckled at the thought of freaking him out with an army of Jedi and Sith when they were ready.

 

“Hold on, Ahsoka. I thought that Celestials couldn’t be killed through ordinary means. So, how could the Ones be killed, and how can we kill Abeloth if she ever gets loose?” Mon skeptically said, as she couldn’t wrap her head around so many supernatural threats.

 

“That’s true. They can’t be permanently killed through conventional means, but there is a way to kill them for good.” Tau said as he activated his holocron, and he focused on the image of the one weapon that could truly destroy a Celestial: The Dagger of Mortis. “This weapon is called the Dagger of Mortis, and it’s the weapon that’s responsible for the deaths of the Ones, as well as the one weapon that can fully destroy Abeloth if she ever gets loose, and trust me when I say that we can’t ever allow that to happen.”

 

“Of all the… You’re telling me that a ordinary woman forcibly acquired the destructive power of a Celestial, and that our only way of stopping her is an ancient dagger?!?” Garm exasperatingly said as he summed up everything that he had just learned from this Jedi who came from the future.

 

“Yes. That’s exactly what we’re saying, Senator. Fortunately, when I met with Iluvatar about a year ago, I found out where the Mortis Monolith is located, and we can retrieve it if we move within the next six months, as the monolith teleports to one Force-strong planet after another in order to avoid being found. “ Tau explained to the Corellian Senator. 

 

“Well, at least there’s some good news. Are there any other threats that we have to prepare for, Tau, or are rogue Celestials and their minions, a marauding extragalactic species, a group of Force-haters, and an empire ruled by two Sith Lords?” Ferus said in an attempt to add some much-needed humor to this situation.

 

“Well, there is one more threat, Ferus. But we can deal with that another time, as we don’t know too much about the Nephilim just yet. For now, we’d better get started on finding and moving as many Jedi and sympathetic rebels and Imperials as we can into the Unknown Regions, as they’ll be safer there than in Imperial-controlled space, and we can rebuild the Order’s ranks to prepare for war.” Akuu said as he decided to end this meeting, as he could tell that the founders of the Rebel Alliance needed some time to digest this information.

 

But, before everyone left, the Anzati Mandalorian motioned for Arnine to hand Ahsoka a stack of datapads that she took, and she smiled at the driod as she asked, “I assume that these datapads contain information on these threats, Arnine?” The astromech droid then warbled in appreciation of Ahsoka’s friendly attitude, and rolled back towards his friends as they prepared to leave the dining hall.

 

“Thank you for your time, everyone, but we should be heading back to the _Second Chance_ in order to get it refueled so we’re ready to go to Korriban and Tython within the week, as the latter is where the Mortis Monolith is currently located.  Plus, I’m sure that you have a lot to discuss about whether or not we form the Shadow Alliance. We’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good day, and may the Force and Iluvatar be with you all in these dark times.” Tau said as he and his friends nodded their heads in appreciation of the hospitality, and then departed to Docking Bay 10 of Aldera’s spaceport.

 

After the seven friends left the hall, the five leaders looked at each other as they each silently agreed on a resolution to this matter, and agreed to call back Tau and his friends at the crack of dawn tomorrow, as they knew that they needed time to analyze the datapads that Tau and his comrades had given them. However, they failed to notice the glance that Ahsoka had stolen at Tau as he returned to his ship, and she wondered if she had found a new friend and teacher.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, that’s a wrap on the latest, and longest, chapter in this story thus far! So, what do you guys think of it, as it was a labor of love. I hope that I conveyed the emotions and characteristics of each of the real and original characters of the to Star Wars timelines, as characterization is important to my friends and I. Well, I should tell you all that I won’t be able to write as fast form here on out, as I’ll be heading back to school tomorrow, on January 11, 2018, and I’ve also got work to worry about this weekend, as I’ll be working a lot, so I’ll have to give up a lot of time for more important matters. I’m sorry for the inconvenience Oh, by the way, are you guys aware that I’ve written nearly fourteen thousand words in this story in a measly six days? I think that that’s a personal record for me, and I’ve written a lot in one day before. Well, I guess that that’s it for this chapter. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone. How are you doing on the cold night of January 10, 2018? I’m doing well, as I figured that, since I have a few hours left before I have to go to bed for school, I’d get some writing done, as I want to keep writing for a long time, as writing Star Wars stories is both a creative and constructive outlet for me, especially with the death of the Expanded Universe in almost every format. Well, I’d better get to writing, as this may be the final chapter before our heroes, and two other Rebel leaders, go on the first two series of missions for the Shadow Alliance (oops, I just gave away some spoilers for the story). Anyway, on with the story!

_Four Hours Later_

_On the_ Tantive IV

 

The sun was setting on Alderaan, but that did not matter to the inhabitants of the CEC CR90 corvette were on high alert, as Ahsoka, Bail, Ferus, Garm, Mon, and Raymus were observing the analyzed data files from the _Second Chance_ ’s databanks and sensors, and the results of what they found were disconcerting.

 

According to the data from the sensors, the Yuuzhan Vong were unlike any force that the Old Republic had faced. Above the planet Arda, the combined forces of the Galactic Empire, the Carthean resistance, many Mandalorianss, led by Tobi Dala and Bo-Katan Kryze, as well as renegade Republic and Confederate forces, were barely able to hold their own against the Yuuzhan Vong’s ground and naval forces, which was only a miniscule portion of the full might of the Yuuzhan Vong’s military might. The Koros-Strohna worldship, the largest capital ship in the Yuuzhan Vong’s organically grown navy, was only destroyed through the efforts of the Jedi, who infiltrated the worldship and set off a chain reaction that damaged enough for the remaining friendly ships to destroy it, which forced the few remaining Yuuzhan Vong frigates and battle cruisers to flee the system.

 

On the ground, the armies barely did any better, as the Yuuzhan Vong had given Sauron many advantages against the Free Peoples of Arda, including Force-Sensitive super Orcs known as Uruk-Hai; genetically engineered Force-Sensitive elves known as the Morgorlug-Hai that served Sauron, and were superior to any naturally-born Elf; fire-breathing dragons that were stronger than even Glaurung, the first dragon ever created by Morgoth, and many other abominations that violated every law of nature that was ever conceivable.

 

The historical records did not ease their minds, as they revealed how, thanks to collaborators known as the Peace Brigade, spies within every layer of the New Republic’s government and navy, and the incompetence of the Senate, the Yuuzhan Vong had conquered even Coruscant and vongformed it to suit their needs, had killed an heartbreaking number of 365 trillion beings in their four-year campaign, and were only beaten back through a series of miracles mainly engineered by the Jedi and the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, confirming what Tau Palpatine had told them.

 

To add further fuel to everyone’s growing fears, Tau’s information revealed a number of superweapons that the Empire was building, ranging from 17.5 kilometer-long _Eclipse_ -class Star Dreadnoughts that could crack a planet’s crust with a superlaser, to the Galaxy Gun that could destroy a city, continent, or a planet via hyperspace-capable missiles, World Devastators that could use any bit of physical matter in order to produce war materials, and, the worst of them all, a moon-sized battle station called the Death Star, which, through the use of lightsaber crystals, could, at its full power, destroy an entire planet, and was used at full power twice, the first time as a test firing at the Imperial penal colony of Despayre, and the second and final time was, to everoyne’s horror, used on Alderaan in order to send a message to the Rebel Alliance before its destruction above the jungle moon known as Yavin IV.

 

Clearly, Sidious and his top-ranking minions were planning to rule through the simple but effective use of terror to achieve his ends, regardless of the cost of innocent lives. He had to be stopped, all the while keeping the infrastructure of the Empire intact while reforming it into a force for good, in order to protect the galaxy from so many external or supernatural threats.

 

To escalate the tension even more, the Nephilim were another matter entirely. They appeared to be similar in appearance to the Columi, but far deadlier, with technology that was decades, maybe even centuries ahead of this time, and Tau had very little information about them, which made them all the more dangerous.

 

And, as the icing on the cake, the Knights of Olpaka were, for them being so-called ordinary citizens, a force of their own to be reckoned with, as Viridian had provided Tau with the schematics on the technology that the Knights used, ranging from their power suits, to their ships, to the remainder of their weapons And even more heinous was the intelligence that Xey had given regarding the Knights’ torture practices, as well as a location of several of their camps in both the known and unknown sectors of the galaxy.

 

After reviewing all of the files that Tau had sent their way, the six Rebel leaders wearily sat down in the _Tantive IV_ ’s conference room, and Mon simply said, “We have to ally with Tau and his friends. It’s the only way we can stop Sidious and Vader before all of these forces are ready to attack us.”

 

“Agreed.” Everyone said simultaneously as they were each lost in a wave of despair that was palpable to even the simplest and least intelligent of beings. Once they took a few moments to gather their thoughts, they left the ship, and Bail said to Raymus, “Tell Rahm Kota that we need to speak with him once his mission’s over, and contact Saw Gerrera. Tell Gererra that we need to have a meeting within, at the most, the next two months. I don’t care what it takes, but we have to get him on our side if we’re going to buy enough time for a plan to be put into motion.”

 

“I’ll get on it immediately, Senator.” Raymus simply said as he returned to the ship to begin the preparations.

 

“We have to call Tau and his comrades back to the palace at once, as we need to tell him that we’ve reached a decision yesterday.” Garm said as the five remaining people headed back to the palace.

 

“No.” Ahsoka curtly said as she stopped walking, and everyone followed suit, albeit with much confusion. Before anyone could question her sudden decision, she explained, “If we have them come back to the palace for the third time, people will ask more questions, and the more people who know about Tau and the others, the quicker that his existence will become known to the Emperor. We have to disguise ourselves and go to Tau’s ship so we can meet with him there.”

 

“It makes sense.” Ferus said in agreement before he continued, saying, “We’re closer to the spaceport than the palace, and we don’t have to worry on anyone eavesdropping on us in Tau’s ship.”

 

Trusting in the instincts of the two former Jedi, Bail acquiesced and said, “Very well. Mon, Garm and I will change into something inconspicuous, while you two stand guard, and then we’ll meet Tau at his ship.” As the three senators reentered the ship, he slowly took a deep breath and said, “May the Force be with everyone if we fail.”

 

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

“Wow.” Tau expressionlessly said, as he could hardly comprehend what Bail, Mon, Garm, Ahsoka, and Ferus were offering him: They were willing to work with Tau in forming the Shadow Alliance in order to overthrow the Sith and reform the Galactic Empire, all the while secretly building an army and navy that was capable of beating the Yuuzhan Vong, Abeloth, the Killiks, Nephilim, the Cult of the Dark Ainur, and the Knights of Olpaka, and while rebuilding the Jedi Order through helping and relocating the majority of the survivors to the Unknown Regions enclaves that the Jedi controlled. He then formed a lopsided grin and joyfully said, “Well, with an offer like that, and the stakes this high, how can I say no? Of course I’ll agree to this alliance!”

 

Ahsoka smiled at Tau’s eagerness; as it reminded her of her own enthusiasm when she first started off as Anakin’s Padawan. She then said, “Well, I’m glad that you’re so happy. Now all we need is an army and navy that can stand up to Sidious, and then overthrow him and reform his empire into a force that can protect the galaxy. Got any ideas on how we can do that?”

 

“I have a few idea.” Tau said as he chuckled deviously at his newfound partners, which made them slightly nervous about forming the Shadow Alliance.

 

Garm then turned to Jarael, and curiously said, “Is he always like this when he’s giddy?”

 

“No, Senator. He’s just had about a year to come up with a plan to stop his ancestor’s mad schemes, and he knows a lot of people and groups that can help us in this endeavor.” Jarael said as she shot Tau a glare in order to get him to quit his chuckling.

 

“Well, I suppose that we had better get started, as we only have a handful of decades to get ready for the menaces that will soon come.” Celebion said as he rolled his eyes in amusement at his friends’ antics. His face then took on a serious expression, and he said to everyone, “I need to warn you, though, Tau’s list of people contain some… questionable individuals and groups that he wants to include in the Shadow Alliance, and we might not agree with his plans. But, if his list and plans are as good as he claims it is, then it might be enough for us to pull this plan off.”

 

Tau’s face turned serious, and he sighed in dejection as he sat up straight and nervously said, “Yeah… about that. You see, my list includes a few future high-ranking Imperials, as well as a few crime lords who were trustworthy in my time, but now… we might not be able to recruit most of them. Not to mention the weapons that we’ll need in order to mitigate the losses for us.”

 

Something in Tau’s tone caught Garm’s attention, and he suspiciously said, “Exactly what weapons, Tau, are you referring to?”

 

“Well…” Tau guiltily said as he quickly said, “We might have to take control of the superweapons that the Empire is creating in order to stop the Yuuzhan Vong and Cult of the Dark Ainur.”

 

The moment that Tau finished speaking, everyone looked at him as if they were staring at the exact image of Sidious themselves. In order to salvage the Shadow Alliance, Tau then began to explain himself, saying, “Look, my friends and I have given this over a year of thought, and I really hate to say this, but we came to the horrific, but necessary conclusion that these weapons can be used for good, if we are the ones to control them. We don’t have, or need, for that matter, to use their full power, and we will even place a series of safeguards within the Death Star and the other weapons that can prevent them from being used at maximum capacity, as we’re trying to save the galaxy, not destroy it. Even ten percent of the Death Star’s power will be more than enough for destroying Yuuzhan Vong Worldships and the hideouts of Sauron’s forces. And, once these threats are dealt with, we can dispose of them by sending them into suns to destroy them.”

 

“Are you insane, Tau?! Why in the name of the Celestials would we want to use such indiscriminate weapons of mass destruction, even for a noble cause? It would degrade us to the same level as your ancestor, and would destroy our cause when, not if, it would be discovered.” Mon said, not being able to comprehend why Tau would even consider using the personal tools of the Sith and their lackeys.

 

“Look, I hate this idea so much, I’d kill myself if there weren’t any other choices. But, I have a plan for keeping the weapons in check. I’ll warn you, though, after you hear this idea, you’ll probably think that I’m completely demented.” After a moment to take a deep breath, Tau said, “We upload copies of the personality matrix of R2-D2 in order to make sure that no one misuses the superweapons. We all know that Artoo is a noble droid with a superb conscience, and, if he can be trusted to keep the secret of the Rebellion from our enemies, then I have faith that he can be trusted with controlling superweapons. And, as a gesture of good faith, I’ll vow to help destroy these weapons if we can’t get control of them.”

 

“Okay. Let’s entertain, just for a single minute, that your plan could work. Even if Artoo could be trusted with such power, as reduced as it might be, we don’t know where he is, because during a training mission in the Karthakk System, we lost him and C-3PO in an escape pod, and we haven’t been able to find them since. And that was almost two years ago!” Ahsoka said in exasperation of the discussion that the Shadow Alliance should have never had in the first place.

 

“Well, I guess that it’s a good thing that I know where they will be in about ten years.” Tau confidently said, which surprised both Ahsoka and Bail considerably.

 

“Where?” Bail said, ready to dispatch Raymus to retrieve them once Tau gave him the coordinates.

 

“Sorry, Senator Organa, but I’m afraid that I can’t give you the information just yet, as those two droids have a lot of adventures to go on in order to help a bunch of people, solve a lot of vast conspiracies, and bring a lot of criminals to justice.” Tau sympathetically said to Bail, which made the latter rub his head in exasperation with Tau’s schemes and secrets.

 

“You’re asking us to take a lot of things on faith, Tau. I’m not sure that we can support you in this plan of yours.” Mon worriedly said.

 

“Believe me, I would have killed Tau at first if he told me of this insane plan of his when we first met. But, at least he’s willing to listen to the counsel and advice of his friends and advisors, which puts him a step up from his great-great-grandfather, if you ask me.” Celebion said in defense of his friend.

 

“And he shows great reluctance in pursuing this plan of the Jedi’s which makes him better than my people as they would destroy countless worlds and civilizations if their plans succeed, and I vowed to do what it takes to stop them, which means that I follow Tau’s lead, even if I don’t agree with him on everything.” Nagme said in concurrence with the Dunedain Ranger.

 

“And the rest of you? Do you support this lunatic plan of his?” Ferus said as he stared at the remaining four shipmates of the _Second Chance_ in an attempt to convince them that this plan that Tau concocted was, at best, foolhardy, and, at worst, no better than what the Sith would devise.

 

Arnine spoke in droidspeak his support of Tau, as he knew that Tau would never target innocent life forms.

 

“When Edaan died, I made a promise to myself that I would protect Tau in whatever he would get himself into, and I still intend to honor that promise. And, I have hope that this will work out for the best.” Akuu said, his voice full of hope as he spoke.

 

“I know Tau’s mind, and I know that this decision is tearing him apart from the inside out, so I have faith that he’ll make the right decision when the time comes.” Jarael said in a motherly tone, which Tau appreciated with a nod directed at the medic.

 

“What about you, Ventis. Do you support Tau’s conspiracies and schemes?” Ahsoka said as she stared at the middle-aged human that had not spoken even once since she had seen him. She could sense a powerful connection to the Force, as well as a strong darkness in him that could be defined as shame or remorse for a great sin, but, knowing that everyone had something to hide, she decided not to pursue the matter for now, as she knew that more important matters demanded her immediate attention.

 

“I owe Tau my life, so I will help him make things right for as many people as possible.” Ventis enigmatically said as he looked away from everyone, as if he was ashamed to be in everyone’s presence. Ahsoka made a mental note to look into this man’s background later.

 

“Getting back on track, we need to get in contact with our more militant cells, and accelerate our plans to unite them, as we’ll need a distraction in order to keep Sidious off our tails while we work on overthrowing him. We can deal with the superweapons when we get to it. For now, let’s just work on building the Shadow Alliance.” Bail said before his earpiece beeped, and he quickly acknowledged Raymus’s communication before he cut the link and satisfactorily said, “Well, Tau, it looks like you’ll be getting some help in this mission of yours, because Saw Gerrera has agreed to a meeting with us on Lok in two months.”

 

Upon hearing the name of the leader of the extreme Rebel cell known as the Partisans, Tau’s face became stone-hard, and he said, “Well, that presents a problem.”

 

Immediately catching on to what Tau was alluding to, Mon said, “Jedi Palpatine, I know that Gerrera is a hard-liner among our rebel cells, but in our position, we can’t afford to be too choosy in our allies, and Gerrera is a seasoned warrior and leader who we sorely need right now.”

 

“That is not the issue, Senator Mothma. The problem, though, isn’t what he is right now, it’s what he will become as time drags on. By the end of his life during the test firing of the superlaser-equipped Star Destroyer _Conqueror_ on Jedha, Saw will become a paranoid cell leader, and he and his Partisans will be guilty of what is amounted to war crimes, ranging from killing civilian targets, murdering surrendering Imperials, and unacceptable levels of collateral damage.” Tau explained to Mon, who looked as if she were to have a stroke upon hearing the vicious leader and terrorist that Saw would become if left unchecked.

 

“Great. So, basically we have to convince Saw to scale back from his more impulsive tendencies and ally with us, never mind that one of the leaders of this new Shadow Alliance is an actual descendent of Emperor Palpatine.” Ahsoka said with little hope, as she remembered how stubborn and determined Saw was when he put his mind to something during the Old Republic’s covert campaign to liberate the Inner Rim world of Alderaan from the Confederacy’s iron-fisted grip. “We going to need a _really_ good contingency plan in the event that Saw decides that he’s better off without us.”

 

“Leave that to me, Ahsoka. You’ve got enough on your plate as Fulcrum, and it’s about time that I got back into the fight.” Ferus confidently said, Bail nodding to him in appreciation at his friend’s support.

 

“That’s good, because my crew, Ahsoka, and I have a pit stop to make before we head for Korriban and Mortis.” Tau said, surprising everyone yet again.

 

“And, pray tell, just where do you need to go before you head after a fallen Jedi Master and retrieve a weapon that can kill a Celestial for good?” Garm questioned the young Jedi Knight.

 

“To the hiding place of Obi-Wan Kenobi in order to hide someone of great importance to a world in the Unknown Regions, as well as personal value for one of my fellow Jedi.” Tau simply said to everyone present, which satisfied Garm and Mon, while shocking Ahsoka, as she did not expect that Tau would be going to see Obi-Wan, or that she would be invited for the journey.

 

“What for? Who could you have to hide in order to go to Tatooine, of all places?” Ferus skeptically asked, curious as to what answer Tau would come up with.

 

"In order to hide Daniel Valo's wife, who is from an Unknown Regions world known as Remnant, and is a Fall Maiden, which is, to make a long story short, a powerful Force-Sensitive in tune with one of the four natural seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter, and got a piece of her soul ripped from her being by members of a dark cult from Remnant. Viridian wanted me to put the stasis pod that holds her someplace safe that no one would think to look for her, and, naturally, I chose Tatooine due to Obi-Wan's presence there." Tau explained before he turned to Bail and said, "So, Senator Oragna, do you think that you could let Master Kenobi know that we're coming, because I would like to give him some time to prepare for our arrival, as I imagine that we'll have a bit to talk about?"

 

Bail, simply nodding his head in acquiesce, said, “I’ll get in contact with him once the meeting’s over. Is there anything else that we need to discuss?”

 

“Well, there is one last thing. I need to put a mental block on your mind about the last few hours to make sure that you can’t talk to anyone about it but with the rest of us, as well as anyone who enters our inner circle. Don’t worry, though, I’ll let you tell your wife, as I know that she can be trusted. Oh, I also need to do it on Senators Mothma and Bel Iblis, of course, as we can’t risk this knowledge getting out to anyone before we’re ready. Don’t worry, it’s painless, and it’ll only take about fifteen minutes for each of you.” Tau said, making each of the senators look at each other for a moment before they turned back towards Tau.

 

“We’ll accept those terms, as you’re right. We can’t show our hand until we’re ready, and I’m terrible at hiding my hate for Sidious and the Empire.” Garm said in agreement, speaking for all three senators.

 

‘Good. Now, if there’s nothing else, we’d better get started, as we’ve got a lot of work to do, and so little time to do it all.” Tau enthusiastically as he clapped his hands together, and went to Senator Organa to begin the procedure.

 

_Two Hours Later_

_On Tatooine, On the Outskirts of the Jundland Wastes_

_Inside Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi’s Hut_

“You’re doing what with who now, Bail?!?” Obi-Wan Kenobi shouted in complete shock of what he had just heard. He was in the middle of gathering water from his moisture vaporator when Senator Organa called him on his private Holonet communicator, and explained to him how a Jedi Knight, named Tau Palpatine, an actual descendant of Darth Sidious, had been sent from the future by a celestial in order to prepare the galaxy from a myriad of threats, several of them worse than the Galactic Empire. He also heard how Tau was creating a Shadow Alliance to covertly overthrow Sidious and Vader and reform their empire, and rebuild the Jedi Order, all in the span of the forty years before the main Yuuzhan Vong armada arrived in the known galaxy.

 

“ _Well, you’re certainly taking it a lot better than I thought you would, Obi-Wan._ ” Bail calmly said as he saw the Jedi Master pace back and forth in his small hut in exasperation.

 

“Oh, believe me, Bail, I’m freaking out on the inside.” After he ran his hand through his shaggy hair in an effort to calm down, he said, “You’re absolutely sure that you can trust him, Bail, or even verify his claims of being from the future?”

 

“ _He knew all about our plans to build a rebellion, and knew about Ferus Olin, the children, Vader, and Sidious, and A’Sharad Hett, the latter of which you kept from me, old friend, and he hadn’t ratted us out to his ancestor. Not to mention all of the historical information and data that he brought from both the future and his travels. My compatriots and I trust him, and he needs you to keep someone that’s trapped in a stasis pod safe until she can be cured from her condition. He and his crew will be there within four days, so be ready to expect company. Oh, and expect company from and old friend of yours.”_ Bail said, forming a small smirk on his face as he said his last sentence.

 

“Great. More company.” Obi-Wan said as he remembered the adventures he went on during the first few weeks of his time as a hermit on the dustball planet of Tatooine. “Who is this friend that’s coming with Tau and his crew? Can they be trusted?”

 

“ _Don’t worry, my friend. They’re completely trustworthy._ ” Bail then looked over his shoulder, and then said, “ _The_ Second Chance _has just made the jump to hyperspace. I have to go, as I have to see off my friends off before they leave Alderaan. May the Force be with you, Master Kenobi._ ” With that said, he disconnected the Holonet connection, and left the exiled Jedi Council member alone to contemplate the unexpected interruption in Obi-Wan’s otherwise peaceful and mundane day.

 

 _Why does the Force insist on making my life miserable?_ Obi-Wan said as he attempted to meditate on this new development.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, cut! Wow! I can’t believe that I finished this chapter in about twenty-four hours, especially since I had my first class of my final semester of community college today, on January 11, 2018, which took up at least three hours of my day. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to update my story for at least a few days, as I’ve got volunteering and possibly work tomorrow, plus a weekend full of work right after that, so I’ll be quite busy. And that doesn’t include the homework that I’ve got to tackle over the weekend, and my second class hasn’t even started up yet. That’s when my schedule will get really hectic. Well, wish me luck. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone! How are you doing on the day of January 12, 2018? I’m doing well, as I’ve finished my volunteering and homework for the week, so I’m able to work on writing today, as I still have two days full of working at my job tomorrow, which will, no doubt, be a hassle, but a manageable one, nonetheless. Well, I’d better get to writing, as this chapter will be more of a filler and character development one than a plot advancing one. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me, because I need to get everyone’s characters just right.

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

_Seventy Hours Away From Tatooine_

“She’s quite a beauty, isn’t she, Ahsoka?” Tau proudly said as he took Ahsoka on a tour of the ship that he considered to be his home. Since the Second Chacne wouldn’t arrive at Tatooine in just under three days, the young Jedi Knight decided to give his new friend a personal tour of the ship in hopes of impressing the former Jedi Padawan. The two friends were currently in the hyperdrive core, and, judging from the look on Ahsoka’s face, she was in wonder of such a feat of engineering genius.

 

“How fast does the ship go in hyperspace?” Ahsoka said as she shook herself out of her stupor.

 

“About 0.5 lightspeed.at its best.” Tau nonchalantly said, making Ahsoka snap her head to him in disbelief.

 

“0.5?! How could a ship this small possibly take that kind of pressure on its systems?” Ahsoka exclaimed.

 

“Through a lot of special modifications, including three droid brains working in near perfect synch. Believe it or not, this ship was designed as an exact copy of the original and greatest smuggling ship of several generations- you wouldn’t have heard of it, it was destroyed just before Iluvatar sent me back in time- the _Millennium Falcon_. Oh, the stories that I could show you through the history books if we had the time.” Tau said in nostalgia and great respect for the ship, which surprised Ahsoka at how attached he was to this ship, as a Jedi wasn’t supposed to form any attachments, though she knew how poorly many Jedi failed in that regard.

 

Shaking herself out of her thoughts before she could become depressed, she said, “Any other surprises that this ship has, as I imagine that a ship that you hold in high regard has more than speed and brains to back it up?”

 

“Well, the ship has a few smuggling compartments that can be used to hide in if things get rough, top of the line shielding, two light turbolaser cannons, an antipersonnel cannon, and advanced sensors, which we keep in pristine shape, thanks to me, Akuu, and Arnine repairing them weekly, as we get into all sorts of trouble.” Tau said as he thought off the top of his head.

 

“Well, you make Anakin’s improvements to the _Twilight_ look like child’s play, Tau, and he was a savant of mechanics and fixing things.” Ahsoka said in amazement at how advanced and armed this ship was.

 

“It’s all thanks to Han Solo, one of the greatest heroes of my time.” Tau said before his expression became sad, which made Ahsoka guess that, whoever this Han was, he was dead.

 

Not wanting Tau to be sad, she then said, “So, can I meet the rest of the crew, as I haven’t been formally introduced to the rest of them, and I’d like to get to know them over the next few days?”

 

Smiling at Ahsoka’s willingness to speak with his friends, he said, “Of course. Let’s head to the dejarik table, as I’ve got a hunch that three of my friends will be there right about now.”

 

With that said, the two rebel leaders and Force-sensitives made their way to the ship’s main hall, and they came across an intense match of dejarik between Ventis and Nagme, with a smug Celebion reading one of Tau’s holobooks on galactic history from his seat on the couch.

 

“Hey, guys. Let me guess; Winner has to play Celebion?” Tau nonchalantly asked as he saw his apprentice and personal Master Shaper engage each other in a game of mental wits.

 

“Exactly, Tau.” Nagme said, while Ventis grunted in confirmation of Tau’s guess.

 

Seeing a chance for a break for his friends, Tau then asked, “Well, you’ve been at this little tournament of yours ever since we made the jump to hyperspace. Why don’t you take a break and get to know our newest crewmate, okay?” 

 

“Fine with me.” Ventis said, relieved that he had a break from this match with his equal in dejarik, as he was badly blundering this round.

 

“Very well. Only because I was only three moves away from winning this round.” Nagme smugly said to no one in particular.

 

“I believe that I could use a break from this depressing book, as it shows the Jedi Council as a group of power-mongers and self-serving control freaks.” Celebion said in frustration as he closed his holobook and faced Tau and Ahsoka. He then sympathetically said to Ahsoka, “I was told of what the Jedi Council did to you during the Clone War, and I must admire your courage in leaving everything that you knew, even if your Order wasn’t serving Iluvatar at by the end, in order to do some… how do you people call it? ‘Soul searching?’”

 

“That’s essentially the gist of it, Celebion.” Ahsoka said, surprised that someone who had, until two years ago, had never even heard of the Jedi Order or the greater galaxy, understood and approved of her decision to follow her own path. She then asked in curiosity, “So, what book were you reading that had you so on angry?”

 

“A record on the Mandalorian Wars that showed how the Jedi Council sat on the sidelines as Revan and his followers took matters into their own hands in order to protect the galaxy from the Mandalorinas, who, at the time, were no better than the Orcs of my world as they devastated world after world in their lust for territory, while they were nothing more than pawns of Vitiate and his Sith Empire.”

 

Ahsoka looked at Celebion in shock at his knowledge of such confidential matters, and then turned to Tau, who simply said, “Edaan was quite a history buff.”

 

“Okay.” Ahsoka numbly said before she decided to change the topic of the conversation, and asked, “How is your daughter, Niwen, I believe her name is?”

 

After the Dunedain Ranger’s eyes briefly widened before he took control of his emotions, he said, “How do you know of Niwen, Ahsoka, as I do not recall telling you about her?”

 

“When Tau showed me his memories, I got a few glimpses of Niwen and her children, as well as echoes of great pain surrounding her. They’re all very beautiful, by the way.” Ahsoka said in a sincere form of both compliments and flattery.

 

“Thank you, Ahsoka. Niwen means the world to me, and I went through great difficulties to find her after she was taken from me from… from one of the vilest of Sauron’s minions. I can only take comfort in knowing that she and her children are with Viridian’s brother, who is a noble man who married her out of pure love, and that forsook the Empire after he fully grasped the shadow that controls it. Forgive me, but it is a difficult topic for me, and I would rather not discuss it unless I had no other choice.” Celebion said as he began to tear up at the memories of the fear that he felt so potently for twelve long and agonizing years before father and daughter were reunited. 

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you relive painful memories. I just wanted to know why you left your daughter to help Tau in his plans.” Ahsoka said in understanding and curiosity.

 

“It is all right. You have the right to know the truth. I left Niwen because I trusted Jane and Viridian to keep her safe, and so that I could serve as a source of spiritual and moral counsel to Tau, just as he asked me to.” Celebion honestly said as he wiped the tears from his eyes. He then continued, saying, “Tau knew how slippery a slope he would be on when he vowed to build an alliance to stop his ancestor, so he asked me to come with him in order to keep him grounded in the present, instead of the future that he has envisioned for the galaxy, like Sidious.”

 

“And I’m grateful for it, my friend.” Tau said in gratitude of his religious mentor. He then turned to Nagme, and told Ahsoka about her, saying, “Nagme Jamaane is a former Master Shaper of the Yuuzhan Vong before she became Shamed for her latest series of implants failing. She then joined our Shadow Alliance after we liberated the renegade Yuuzhan Vong’s slaves and Shamed Ones, and they agreed to help us prepare for the mainstream Yuuzhan Vong’s invasion. Nagme agreed to be my teacher in the art of Shaping in order to counteract the more… unethical applications of Shaping.”

 

“What exactly is ‘Shaping’, Tau, as I recall you saying that a Shaper was, in essence, a genetic specialist, but I imagine that there is more to it than just gene splicing?” Ahsoka asked in curiosity.

 

Nagme was more than willing to educate a compatriot in the intricacies of Shaping, and began to speak in an academic tone, saying, “Well, Ahsoka, Shaping is, pardon the bragging, far above any genetic capabilities that your galaxy possesses. Shaping can range from terraforming a planet’s ecosystem to any kind that we desire, create new races from old genetic material, and, in what would be considered an immoral way in this galaxy, brainwash a person’s mind into whatever being that a Shaper wishes, and anything in between. It’s really a complex and mentally invigorating art, and I happened to be one of the best masters of it for my people before my implants failed.”

 

After Ahsoka absorbed all of the information that was just casually given to her, she replied in a nervous tone, “Well, I’m glad that you’re on our side, because we’ll need your expertise in order to prevent your people from reshaping this galaxy in their image.” After she said that, she had an idea, and asked, “Nagme, can Shaping be used to revitalize dead worlds, because there’s a few worlds that have been polluted or destroyed from too much urbanization, and they could use some new life breathed into them?”  
  


Nagme then smiled in pride and said, “Of course, Ahsoka. Tau told me that it was used to revitalize the Core World known as Duro into a planet with a rich environment, and Coruscant was even Shaped through highly advanced means, which are way above me in rank, to resemble my people’s ancient home world of Yuuzhan'tar before the planet was largely returned to its original state after my people were defeated in the future.”

 

“Good.” Ahsoka gratefully said before she said, “Because I can think of a few worlds besides Duro that could use a second chance, like Bonadan, Eriadu, and Raxus Prime, as they’re environmental disasters.”

 

“Hold on there, Ahsoka.” Tau quickly said, injecting himself into the conversation, and continued to speak, saying, “Bonadan and Eriadu, I would definitely revitalize, as they each have billions of people inhabiting each planet, but w might have a use for Raxus as it is, because, since the planet’s a literal junkyard, if we do decide to use the World Devastators, we can use the wreckage from the planet’s surface to create a virtually limitless army and navy, not to mention all of the other, more peaceful ships and equipment that we can create with the superweapons.”

 

“Well, at least you’ve come up with a practical use for the worst planet in this galaxy.” Nagme said as she looked at her friend with equal degrees of fear and admiration for willing to use such weapons for the war effort.

 

Ahsoka, on the other hand, realized that Tau might be right about Raxus Prime and its potential, but was equally worried what would happen to anyone who would use such weapons, and if they would eventually be corrupted by the power at the tip of their fingers. Keeping her thoughts to herself, she said, “Well, we can worry about that if we can even get those weapons.”

 

“Agreed.” Tau said in concurrence with Ahsoka’s position before he turned to the quietest member of his crew, and said in the form of introductions, “I believe that you’ve met Ventis Uriel, my apprentice, as well as the latest addition to my crew. He’s a good guy, but keeps mostly to himself. Ventis, why don’t you say hello to our friend?”

 

“Hello.” Ventis numbly said to Ahsoka, who could have sworn that she knew Ventis from somewhere, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She made a note to look into it later, but for now, she decided to get to know Ventis better by letting her friends talk.

 

“So, Ventis, how long have you been Tau’s apprentice?” Ahsoka inquired.

 

“About a couple of months.” Ventis evasively said before he said something that no one would expect to say, and he suddenly said, “I… I’m actually a lot like Tau, actually.” Ahsoka, knowing that this would be an important piece of figuring out just who Ventis actually was, let him assemble his words as he took several deep breaths before he continued, sadly saying, “We were both made by the Sith in our own way, but someone, or in my case, several people, took a chance on the both us, and now we each have been given a chance to make something good of ourselves.”

 

Ahsoka was impressed with what Ventis just said, as it gave her a glimpse into the guilty and tortured soul that he appeared to bear, and she was just a near-total stranger to him. Curious as to why she would he would tell her anything when he didn’t owe her any answers, but not wanting to push too hard, she sympathetically said, “You don’t have to continue if it makes you uncomfortable, Ventis.  You can talk to me when you’re ready.”

 

As tears pooled in Ventis’s eyes, he rose from his seat and began to walk to his bunk, Celebion and Nagme looked at each other in concern before they excused themselves in order to be with their crewmate in case he tried to do something that he might regret.

 

After a moment of awkward silence, Tau said to Ahsoka, “Don’t worry about Ventis. He has a lot of ghosts from his past that he needs to face when he’s ready, and, when he does, he’ll become a great Jedi, and an even better man, just like…” Tau said before he stopped himself, and started over, saying, “Look. I promised a friend of mine that I wouldn’t tell anyone who Ventis was, and I intend to keep that promise. But, I can safely say this: If- no, _when_ \- you find out who he once was, I’ll tell you everything, but just know that he was broken by a Sith Lord that preceded Sidious, and that the crimes that he committed were not his fault, and that the crimes left him a broken man that needs to be healed with time and the Light.” 

 

Despite the questions that she still had regarding Ventis, something inside her, whether it was her instincts, her newfound friendship with Tau, or sympathizing with someone whose life was ruined by the Sith, she decided to drop the matter, deciding to place her trust in the Force that she would know when she was ready.

 

Deciding to change the subject, and wanting Tau’s stance on a certain matter, she gravely asked, “Do you know how many Jedi survived Order Sixty-Six, or how it was initiated?”

 

Tau, knowing what Ahsoka was referring to when she asked the second question, said, “At most, a couple hundred, and I know who and where most of them are. As for Order Sixty-Six, yeah, I know about the control chips that the Kaminoans put in them. Rex told you about them after the Siege of Mandalore when the rest of your men were forced by Sidious to try and kill you, and you and Rex faked your deaths to escape the planet.”

 

Ahsoka was stunned to silence by Tau’s reply, as she never told anyone about the circumstances surrounding her survival, not even Senator Organa. Once she regained her voice, she said, “How did you find out about that? Did I tell Edaan when he met my ghost?”

 

Tau, appearing to be internally conflicted about something, said, “Yes, Ahsoka. Your spirit showed Edaan all of your memories when he pacified your spirit on Korriban during his illicit mission ahead of the Shadow Alliance’s invasion there.”

 

“Just out of curiosity, what was I doing on Korriban of all places?” Ahsoka said to Tau, who appeared very nervous about that question, and she began to get nervous. She then began to put the pieces of the puzzle together, and asked, “Tau? What happened to me on Korriban?”

 

“You were there twelve years from now, along with two Jedi, recently promoted Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus, formerly known as Caleb Dume before the rise of the Empire, and his Padawan, Ezra Bridger, at the behest of Master Yoda in order to find the secrets that could destroy the Sith. Unfortunately, there were… complications, including three Inquisitors, a Sith superweapon and Darth Maul, none of which survived the battle that followed.” Tau hesitatingly said as Ahsoka, despite the shock of knowing that Maul was still alive in this point at time, realized what he was referring to.

 

“How did I die?” Ahsoka said, needing to know just how she perished on the birthplace of the Sith. “Did-did Maul get me?”

 

As if a monster was trying to tear itself out of Tau, he whispered, “No. Vadergot you.”

 

She reached out with the Force to sense if Tau was lying, as some part of her did not want to believe that the man that she considered to be a big brother would kill her, but she sensed nothing but honesty coming from Tau, so she just stared into nothing in particular, as she felt her heart break at imagining that Vader struck her down.

 

Willing herself to snap out of her limitless well of sorrow, Ahsoka leaned on Tau’s shoulder and silently wept at the pain and heartbreak that she was experiencing right now, as she felt like she could die on the spot.

 

Tau knew that the next words that he said could either help Ahsoka rebuild her broken spirit, or send her to her death via suicide, so he prayed to Iluvatar for the right words to lead Ahsoka into the warmth of his light. After taking a deep breath, he tenderly said, “Anakin did redeem himself, and was reunited with his loved ones, and I have no doubt that that list includes you in my time, Ahsoka.”

 

Ahsoka’s eyes widened at those words, then she turned to face Tau, and said, “How?”

 

“Luke, once he knew that Vader was his father, believed that there was still good was inside of him. In fact, his faith in his father was so strong that, during the battle that began the downfall of Sidious’s empire, he risked his life to save him, and his efforts borne fruit. When Sidious was torturing Luke with Force Lightning after he defeated Vader and then refused the Dark Side, Vader became Anakin again, and he sacrificed his life to save Luke. He died in Luke’s arms as they were about to return to the Rebellion.” Tau gently explained to Ahsoka.

 

Ahsoka was grateful for the support that Tau was giving her, as she felt the compassion and empathy that was flowing off of him and on to her. She was even more grateful that her former master could be redeemed, as it gave her the courage to say something that Tau did not expect to hear, “I’m going to save Anakin. Even if it gets me killed.”

 

Realizing that nothing Tau could say could dissuade Ahsoka from her path, he said, “Well, you’re not going to go after him alone. Me and my crew will help you when the time is right, as we both need to train harder than ever before if we’re going to stand a chance against Vader at his full strength.”

 

In thanks for the support that Tau had unconditionally given her, Ahsoka hugged Tau with all of the strength in her arms, and she said, “Thank you, Tau.” Once she pulled back from the hug, she asked, “Why are you so willing to help me? I would have thought that you’d want Vader dead after all of the harm he’s done.”

 

“Part of me does, Ahsoka, I won’t deny that.” Tau admitted before he continued, saying, “But, a bigger part of me understands what you’re going through, and, like my brother, I won’t let someone I care about get killed if I can’t help it.”

 

Satisfied with the answer, Ahsoka yawned in exhaustion, and she then said, “Well, I’m going to bed, because I am REALLY tired. I’ll just take one of the bunks and-” She was then interrupted by Tau, who shook his head in disapproval.

 

“Oh, no, Ahsoka. You’re going to sleep in my cabin, as you need a good bed after the traumatic day that you’ve just had.” Tau said before he continued before Ahsoka could accuse him of any bizarre behavior, saying, “Don’t worry, I’m not trying to sleep with you or anything like that, as I’m that kind of guy. I just want you to get the best sleep that you can get, because we have a lot of time on our hands before we get to Tatooine, and I want it to be well spent. Oh, and you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll just sleep in the ship’s cockpit, as those seats there are surprisingly comfy. You can meet the rest of the crew after you wake up. Okay?”

 

Too tired to argue with Tau, Ahsoka simply nodded her head in acquiescence, and followed him to the captain’s cabin, where she then entered, fell onto the bed in sweet relief, and quickly fell asleep.

 

***

As soon as Tau felt Ahsoka enter a deep sleep, he headed to the Second Chance’s cockpit, running into Jarael as he did so, and she said, “So, I guess that you’re sleeping in the pilot’s seat tonight, Tau? What did you do to Ahsoka?”

 

“Nothing that you wouldn’t have done, old friend. Now, good night.” Tau said as he entered the cockpit, sat in his seat at the helm of the ship, and drifted off to a pleasant sleep.

 

 _So, I’ve recruited three senators, two former Jedi Padawans, and have meetings with rebel cell leaders in the next two months. All in all, today was a pretty successful day._ Tau victoriously said as he fell completely asleep.

 

_Concurrently, On Coruscant/Imperial Center_

_In the Imperial Palace_

 

Darth Sidious was in deep meditation with the Dark Side of the Force, once again failing in his efforts to fully tap into the Sith Shrine that was being excavated underneath the Jedi Temple, when he was granted a vision of the future. In this vision, he saw four Jedi enter the catacombs of Korriban, and he immediately recognized each of them as his wayward Inquisitor, the mysterious and powerful Jedi Knight known only as Tau, Jedi Master Rahm Kota, and, the most surprising of all, Anakin Skywalker’s former Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. This vision forced Sidious to put his plans for using the Sith Shrine on hold for now, and, realizing the opportunity that this could mean for the Sith, immediately used the Force to reach out to his apprentice, Darth Vader.

 

He then telepathically said to Vader, “Prepare the _Exactor_ for your immediate arrival, as we will soon have a rare opportunity to capture four Jedi on Korriban, one of which is Skywalker’s old apprentice.” 

 

“ _I have already given the order, Master, because I have foreseen her traveling to Tython, where Mortis is currently located, in order to retrieve the Dagger._ ” Vader immediately replied, which shocked Sidious with glee at the two chances to increase the Empire’s power.

 

Realizing that nothing could be left to chance, he then said, “Dispatch High Inquisitor Tremayne, Jerec, and Hand Arden Lyn on the _Vengeance_ to Tython. They can locate the dagger while you deal with the Jedi on Korriban.”

 

“ _As you wish, my master._ ” Vader obediently said to his master before he disconnected the connection from his master.

 

This left Sidious alone to contemplate this turn of events, and wondered just what the Dark Side of the Force was trying to tell him as a powerful lightning storm racked the skies of Coruscant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I guess that I was wrong. This chapter will advance the plot of my story significantly, as it will imply that Vader and Ahsoka will meet much sooner than anticipated. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of action to come on both Korriban and Mortis, as you might expect. So, what did you guys think of this chapter? Be honest. Speaking of being honest, I didn’t think that I could get this chapter done in one day, but I guess that I was wrong twice. That’s a first for me. Well, I guess that I’d better go to sleep, as I’ve got work tomorrow. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, my friends. How are you holding up on this cold evening of January 13, 2018? I’m a bit tired, as I worked hard at my job as an usher today. But, don’t worry, I still intend to write a bit before I go to bed tonight. So, this chapter will include the crew of the Second Chance meeting with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the meeting with Jedi Master and founder of the Rebel Alliance, Rahm Kota. Both should be interesting, as they will set an example of how the survivors of the mainstream Old Jedi Order will deal with two Force-Sensitive Palpatines running around, as Tau will recruit most of the survivors of Order Sixty-Six. Well, wish me luck, as I will give my all in writing this chapter. May the Force and Iluvatar be with us all in these dark times without the official EU.

_69.50 Hours Later_

_On the Planet Tatooine_

_In Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Hut_

 

Obi-Wan Kenobi sensed a great disturbance in the Force enter the system, which likely indicated that Tau Palpatine’s ship had exited hyperspace. As he paced around in the main room of his hut, he immediately recognized one of the presences heading in his direction as Anakin’s former Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, before the Jedi Council wrongly expelled her from the Order for being accused of Barriss Offee’s bombing of the Jedi Temple near the end of the Clone War.

 

Having assumed that Ahsoka was killed by Rex during the Siege of Mandalore, he waited patiently for about twenty minutes before the image of a rapidly approaching CEC YT-1300 Light Freighter appeared in the exiled Jedi Master’s view.

 

Once the ship landed right next to Obi-Wan’s hut, the landing ramp opened to reveal Ahsoka waiting to run towards him, and as soon as she was close enough, she grabbed her old friend in a tight hug while tears of relief washed over her face. The Jedi Master quickly reciprocated the hug, as the joy at seeing one of his closest friends still alive after the Sith took over the Republic four years ago nearly made him forget about the grief of losing so many people close to him over the last seventeen years.

 

“It’s good to see you again, Ahsoka.” Obi-Wan said as tears of his own nearly blinded his vision before he saw the rest of the ship’s crew exit the ramp, and the sight shocked him immensely, as he did not often see a male Anzati dressed in Mandalorian armor, a human dressed in armor reminiscent of an ancient culture, a female Iskalloni that appeared to be a doctor, an R-series astromech droid that looked far more advanced than any model that appeared to be on the market, a human male that appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, and looked somewhat familiar to Obi-Wan, a Tuk’ata hound that appeared to be docile, and a younger man in his twenties with two lightsabers attached to his belt, the latter person Obi-Wan assumed to be Tau Palpatine, as his command of the Force far exceeded any of his visitors, and could rival Anakin before his fall to the Dark Side.

 

“I assume that you are Tau Palpatine.” Obi-Wan warily said as he separated from Ahsoka’s hug, and continued, saying, “Perhaps we should continue this conversation inside, as it’s a little cooler in there than it is out here.”

 

“That would be appreciated, Master Kenobi, as this heat is a scorcher.” Tau graciously replied as Obi-Wan led the way inside, where everyone sat down or stood at various locations within the small hut. After a minute of awkward silence, the young Jedi Knight said in an attempt to make light conversation, “So… how’s your stay on Tatooine been, Master Kenobi?”

 

“Other than a few mishaps, very peaceful, Jedi Palpatine.” Obi-Wan stoically said.

 

“Right. The Oriin Gault and A’Sharad Hett incidents on an otherwise peaceful exile on a prime piece of Hutt real estate.” Tau calmly said, surprising Obi-Wan with the young man’s knowledge of the first crisis that he had to deal with shortly after his self-imposed banishment on the desert planet began.

 

“I’m not going to even ask you how you know about that, Jedi Palpatine, and get right to the matter. What do you need my help for, as there are plenty of other places that you can hide a stasis pod?”

 

“Because this pod contains Daniel Valo’s wife, and she needs to be kept in stasis until my friends can retrieve the stolen piece of her soul from her enemies.” Tau simply replied, stunning Obi-Wan with the knowledge that Daniel was still alive, since the last time he saw him was after they departed Polis Massa.

 

He was shaken out of this revelation by the fact that Daniel had a wife, and he shockingly said, “Daniel married?!? How could he completely violate the Jedi Code by marrying and forming attachments to anyone after hearing of how Anakin fell?!”

 

 _HEY! That’s my son and daughter-in-law that you’re talking about, Obi-Wan!_ Ventis mentally said with a great deal of anger, which made the Force Senstitives in the room back away a little bit at the Jedi Apprentice’s waves of rage.

 

Guessing what had Ventis on edge, and sharing his anger at the insensitivity that Obi-Wan was showing towards one of his friends’ predicaments, Tau was about to say something in defense of his friend’s choice when the disembodied voice of Qui-Gon Jinn sympathetically said, “ _Do not be angry, Tau Palpatine. My former apprentice is, for all of his intelligence and wisdom, still struggling with letting people into his heart after all of the losses that he has suffered._ ”

 

“Master Qui-Gon.” Tau and Obi-Wan simultaneously said upon hearing the voice of a person that they each valued greatly in their respective times.

 

“ _It is an honor to meet you, Tau. I have been watching you since your arrival into this time, and I have been impressed with your devotion to both the Living and Unifying Force. You do your brother justice._ ” Qui-Gon said in praise of the cloned Jedi’s character and deeds.

 

“Master Qui-Gon, why are you here now? I… I am not worthy of being in the same presence of one of my brother’s teachers.” Tau shamefully said as he shivered in his seat, not from a drop in temperature, but in reverence of one of the Jedi that taught Edaan everything that he knew about being a Jedi.

 

“ _I am here to warn you of a danger to you and your friends, Tau. Your ancestor is aware of Ahsoka’s survival, as well as your efforts to travel to Korriban and Mortis, and has dispatched Vader to Korriban, while Inquisiors Tremayne, Jerec, and his Hand Arden Lyn go to Mortis to steal the Dagger of Mortis from its final resting place. You must move quickly if you are to save A’Sharad Hett and the Dagger from falling into eternal darkness. May Iluvatar guide your steps, young Jedi.”_ Qui-Gon forebodingly said to Tau.

 

The young Jedi Knight realized that speed was of the essence, and said to his shipmates, “We need to get the pod off the ship, and prepare for departure.” He then turned to face Ahsoka, and said, “Ahsoka, we can spare one hour for you to talk to Master Kenobi, but no longer.” Turnign back to his full-time crew, he said, “Let’s get to work.”

 

With that said, Tau and his seven friends exited the hut in order to head back into the Second Chance. With Ahsoka and Obi-Wan alone, Ahsoka asked, “Why didn’t you try to find me, or even ask Senator Organa to look for me. It was only chance that he found me and rescued my friends from the Imperials on Raada, and that was two years ago?”

 

“You know why, Ahsoka. I had to protect Luke, and complete my training under Qui-Gon.” Obi-Wan shamefully said, as he suspected what would come next from a half-hearted remark.

 

“Funny, that didn’t stop you from helping Ferus during his attempts to build a rebellion against the Empire. If you had stayed, his rebellion might have succeeded.” Ahsoka said with a little heat in her voice.

 

“No, Ahsoka. It wouldn’t have.” Obi-Wan sadly replied before he continued, saying, “Ferus’s network had a mole in it that sold it out to Vader, and his resistance network was destroyed in its infancy, along with Ry-Gaul, Solace, and Garen Muln, three more Jedi that didn’t deserve their fate.”

 

Not wanting to start an argument with one of her few remaining friends from her time in the Jedi Order, Ahsoka dropped the matter, and instead said, “How’s Luke doing, because Tau told me that the plan was to let Luke live an ordinary life until the time was right for the Jedi to return?”

 

“Last I saw, he was doing well. Unfortunately, his guardians won’t let me be near him since Owen Lars is Anakin’s stepbrother, and he won’t let anyone near Luke that could take him away from him, which includes me.” Obi-Wan said as calmly as he could since one more person knew about Luke’s existence, which endangered the last true hope for the galaxy. Deciding to change the topic, he asked, “How did you escape the Clones on Mandalore, as I expect that Rex didn’t make it easy for you?”

 

“Actually, he helped me escape the rest of his brothers before we faked our deaths, and then split up in order to increase our chances of surviving the Empire’s wrath.” Ahsoka explained as Obi-Wan’s jaw fell agape at what he had just heard, which allowed Ahsoka to say with increasing anger and disbelief, “He told me about the control chips that the Kaminoans put in almost every clone, how he removed his after Fives was killed for uncovering evidence of Sidious being at the center of it all. How could you let Fox of all people kill him in cold blood, or believe that _schutta’s_ lies about Fives going mad from removing his?!?”

 

“We were fools in so many ways, Ahsoka, not least of all in how the Council didn’t defend you from Tarkin’s lust for Jedi blood. I should have done more to help you, but now it’s just one more regret that I have to live with for the rest of my life.” Obi-Wan said, the shame evident in his voice as he spoke, and then said, “Have you seen Rex since the Empire rose?”

 

“No. But, Tau knows where he is, along with Wolffe and Gregor, so I’m going to recruit them, along with as many Clone Troopers as we can, into our alliance after we head to Mortis.” Ahsoka said in determination.

 

“Why do you even need the Dagger, Ahsoka? What threat could be out there that demands such a dangerous and lethal weapon?” Obi-Wan asked.

 

“Rogue Celestials and their offshoots.” Ahsoka said before she continued, saying, “You probably wouldn’t believe what else Tau knows, as I barely believe it as it is, and we don’t have enough time to explain all of the threats that exist besides the Sith. All I can say is that we don’t have much time before the galaxy is on the brink of an apocalypse.”

 

“Don’t worry, Ahsoka. I believe you. I just have a hard time believing that there are threats greater than the Sith out there.” Obi-Wan said in defense of his friend. He then saw Tau and the Anzati Mandalorian leading the way for the rest of Tau’s crew as they brought a large stasis pod into his hut, where it was then connected to a backup power generator that was on top of the pod, and they placed the pod in the middle of the room.

 

“I assume that this is Daniel’s wife, Jedi Tau?” Obi-Wan asked.

 

“That is correct, Master Kenobi.” Tau simply said before he continued, saying, “Now, I want you to listen carefully: Under no circumstances are you, or anyone else, to open the stasis pod, because, if you do so, it will draw her enemies here, and they will kill you, drain her of her powers, and tilt the balance of power on Remnant further into darkness. I’ve brought a portable generator, which, if properly rationed, will last for up to four years, as the stasis pod is on low power mode in order to conserve energy. Do you understand?”

 

“Completely, Tau.” Obi-Wan said before he said, “Senator Organa told me of this Fall Maiden, and the situation regarding her predicament.” Before Tau left, he said, “Tau, wait. I apologize for overreacting to the news of Daniel marrying this woman. I just… I still believe in the Jedi Code of my time, as I imagine that the Code in your time is quite different than mine, and, after all of the people that I’ve lost, I find it hard for me to get close to people again.”

 

Tau then looked at Obi-Wan in sympathy, and said, “I believe you, Master Kenobi.” He then showed a sly look at the older Jedi, and he said, “After all, you did have three girls that you loved during various stages as a Jedi. To be more precise, Siri Tachi, Satine Kryze, and Taria Damsin.”

 

Upon hearing those words, the grizzled war veteran blushed like a red sun, and Ahsoka and the rest of Tau’s friends laughed like maniacs upon realizing the irony of the fact that one of the most ardent proponents of the Jedi Code had at least three girlfriends in his forty-two years as a Jedi.

 

“Don’t you guys have to get to Korriban?” Obi-Wan said in embarrassment of the laughter that was directed at him.

 

“Good point. We need to meet with Master Kota and his militia if we’re going to have a chance against Vader and Hett.” Tau said in concurrence before he continued, saying, “Obi-Wan, can you get in contact with Senator Oragna, and have him redirect Master Kota and any other forces that are under his command to Korriban, because we’ll need all of the help that we can get when we face Vader?”

 

“I’ll do it at once, Tau. Ahsoka?” Obi-Wan said before he turned to his friend, offered his hand in reconciliation, and continued to speak, saying, “Do you think that we could talk again? I would like someone to talk to besides Qui-Gon, and I’d like to rebuild the bridges between us.”

 

Ahsoka hesitated for a second before, with some nudging from Tau, shook Obi-Wan’s hand in agreement, and said, “I think that I’d like that, Master Kenobi.”

 

“Just call me ‘Ben’, Ahsoka, as everyone else does at this point.” Obi-Wan said with a relief plastered all over his face as he shook Ahsoka’s hand.

 

“Okay. Well, if there’s nothing else, we’d better get on our way, as we have so many things to do, and so little time to do them.” Tau nervously said as he headed back to his ship, with Ahsoka rolling her eyes in amusement at her friends’ impatience, and waved good-bye to one of her last friends from her time as a Jedi.

 

In a matter of minutes, the crew of the _Second Chance_ returned to their ship, and departed to Korriban in order to save a great Jedi Master from the Dark Side within and outside of A’Sharad after his fall. Obi-Wan then got to work on informing Bail of the change in his friend’s plans.

 

_Two Hours Later_

_Above the Planet Caluula_

 

“Are you sure about this source of information, Bail, let alone his claims?” Jedi Master Rahm Kota cautiously asked as he absorbed what his informant and fellow rebel leader had told him: An actual descendent of Darth Sidious had appeared from the future by a Celestial in order to help destroy Sidious and Vader and reform the Empire into a force that was capable of defeating threats that, if they didn’t come from someone that he trusted, he would never even consider. “Have you considered that, even if he is who he is who he says he is, he’s playing us just like Sidious?”

 

“ _We have, Rahm. But he knew all about our plans, and knew about Ahsoka and Ferus, among other things, and shared with us valid intelligence about the Sith and other forces of darkness that are moving against us. We need him and his intelligence if we’re going to stand a chance in surviving the wars that are to come._ ” Bail said in order to mollify Rahm’s concerns before he continued, saying, “ _There’s no telling when, or if, we get another opportunity to kill Vader when he’s away from Sidious. And, you won’t be alone. We’re dispatching Saw Gerrera and his Partisans to Korriban in order to help Tau and Ahsoka rescue A’Sharad Hett. They’ll each be there in Six days. Good luck, General Kota._ ” When Bail stopped speaking, he ended the Holonet connection, leaving a contemplative Rahm alone to prepare his men for the journey to Korriban, as well as consider the implications of what Senator Organa had told him.

 

He was shaken out of his musing by the voice of one of his men, who said, “General? Should we dispatch the militia to Korriban, sir?”

 

Realizing that, despite the misgivings that Rahm had about this Tau Palpatine, he knew that this was the best chance that anyone had to take out Vader since Roan Shryne faced him on Kashyyyk two months after the Empire rose. He immediately rose from his seat and said, “Prepare the men for departure. Tell them to get a good night’s rest, because at 0700 tomorrow, we depart to Korriban to take out Vader.”

 

_Four Days Later_

_In the Providence-Class Dreadnought_ Remember Antar IV

_In the Galidraan System_

 

From his secret hideout in the Galfridaan system for his small but formidable fleet, Berch Teller was perplexed right now, which was an unpleasant sensation for him, as he had just learned from his mole in Imperial High Command that Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine’s personal executioner, was on his way to the ancient Sith world of Korriban. Even more perplexing was the reports that his spies within Saw Gerrera’s Partisan group that said that both his group and Rahm Kota’s militia were heading there to extract a Jedi Master from the planet on the orders of Senator Bail Organa and his conspirators in the Senate.

 

Five minutes later, however, a certain piece of information that decided Berch’s course of action was the news that Vader had encountered three renegade _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers if unknown affiliation, and had requested the help of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin and his personal Star Destroyer, the _Executrix_ , from the nearby shipyard world of Yaga Minor.

 

Remembering with vivid clarity the massacres that Tarkin had committed in both the Atoan System over the death of his son, Garoche Tarkin, as well as the Antar IV Atrocities that made Berch quit the Imperial service, and gather a group of likeminded individuals that shared his hatred of the Empire and its indiscriminate massacres and other war crimes in order to take down as much as the Imperial war machine as they could, Berch decided to take this opportunity to take down one of the worst war criminals of modern history, and join the fight against Palpatine’s empire. He told his fellow conspirators, the former Mon Calamari Knight Artoz, Koorivar Cala, the human and Zygerrian reporters Anora Fair and Hask Taff, respectively, and Gotal anti-Separatist partisan Salikk, of this chance to deal with Tarkin, and they unanimously agreed to make the best of this opportunity, despite the odds against them. In one hour, the _Remember Antar IV_ , as well as the Nebulon-B Frigate that was appropriately renamed _Tarkin’s Bane_ , made the jump to hyperspace.

 

 _Two Days Later, on the_ Second Chance

_One Hour From The Horuset System_

 

“Wait, wait, wait. You’re telling me that the Empire will soon begin to develop a weapon that’s called the Sun Crusher, which is indestructible and can fire special missiles that can destroy a star system’s sun, vaporizing the system in a matter of hours, and you want to use it, never mind the Death Star, World Devastators and Galaxy Gun?!?” Ahsoka incredulously said to Tau after Celebion told her all about Sidious’s growing list of superweapons, both made or in the process of being created, including the asteroid-shaped superdreadnaught that was ironically called the Eye of Palpatine, and the Sun Crusher. She hoped that Tau had a good explanation for this plan, or she would strangle him in her anger.

 

“Believe it or not, Ahsoka, I was against using it, but Viridian and his friends outvoted me. And, we won’t be using the missiles that detonate the suns, just the indestructible ship, and a laser that is only capable of destroying capital ships.” Tau said in defense of himself, as he knew how close Ahsoka was to the edge due to Celebion’s brutal honesty over his pupil’s questionable tactics.

 

“Well, at least I know that you’re not insane.” Ahsoka said with a wry smile on her face, which made Tau realize that she was playing with him.

 

“That is what I thought when I heard of their plans to co-opt the Sith’s own weapons to use for our plans.” Celebion said in concurrence.

 

Before the banter could continue, the three friends heard the calm but firm voice of Akuu over the ship’s intercom, and said, “ _I’m sorry to interrupt your grilling of Tau’s plans, but we’re only an hour away from Korriban, and we need to be ready, as General Kota’s men are telling me that he, Saw Gerrera, and a man called Berch Teller are engaging Darth Vader, Grand Moff Tarkin, and three Victory-class Star Destroyers with a symbol that can only belong to the Knights of Olpaka in a three-way battle in both space and the planet’s surface._ ”

 

After the three friends recovered from the shock of three of their top enemies gathered in one place, Tau said, “Well, then, we have three missions now, deal with the enemy forces, take out the commanding officers of each of the enemy fleets, and rescue A’Sharad Hett before he’s discovered. Thanks for the heads-up, Akuu.”

 

Ahsoka could only take in deep breaths of fear and anger at the prospect of facing both Tarkin, the man who tried to have her killed after Barriss framed her for her crimes, and Vader, her former master and surrogate brother who massacred so many innocents in a selfish desire to save Padme. She then looked to Tau, who gently said, “Don’t worry, Ahsoka. Taking out Tarkin and these Knights of Olpaka will be enough of a blow for the Empire today. We’ll focus on saving Vader when the time comes.”

 

After breathing in deep breaths of pure resolve, and seeing the determined but sympathetic faces of two of her new friends, she said, “Thank you, Tau. Don’t worry about me. I’ll do what needs to be done when the time comes.”

 

“Good. Just remember, Ahsoka, you do not have to carry this burden alone. We’re like a family of our own, and we look after each other.” Celebion sympathetically said to the Togruta woman.

 

“Good. Now, that’s enough of the mushy stuff. Let’s get ready for the Shadow Alliance’s first battle in the known galaxy.” Ahsoka said as she stood up, and readied herself for battle.   
  


“Agreed.” Both Tau and Celebion said in unison as they headed to the bridge in order to help Akuu prepare for reverting to realapace in less than an hour.

 

However, Celebion noticed Ventis sitting alone in the room with the computer core, and, after Tau nodded his head in approval, headed to comfort him. “Obi-Wan’s comment really got to you, didn’t it, Ventis?”

 

“What do you think, Celebion?” Ventis said in self-loathing as he continued, saying, "I hate that I can't openly admit that Daniel is my son, as that would immediately tell every Jedi who I am, I couldn't defend his actions from Obi-Wan, what does he think that because Daniel married Amber and had a child with her that he would become Vader or Gallius?" he slammed his head against the wall, and shouted, "I hate this so much!"

 

“Have faith in yourself, Ventis. I know that there will come a time when you feel that you have atoned for Gallius’s sins. I also know that when you reach that point in your life, you will be able to reach your full potential. Until then, do not be afraid to lean on us for support, as we look after each other.” Celebion said in comfort to his comrade.

 

After wiping away the tears that had gathered in his eyes, Ventis said in gratitude, “Thank you, Celebion. I can see why Tau has you as a source of spiritual counsel, as you know just what to say to lift a person’s spirits.”

 

“Don’t mention it, my friend. Now, let’s get ready for our first battle together as a family.” Celebion humbly replied as the two friends made their way to the targeters for the turbolaser guns on the _Second Chance_ in order to prepare for battle. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that chapter was a blast to write. I have to be honest with you guys, I did not plan on having Saw Gerrera and Berch Teller’s cells appear in the Battle of Korriban, but, as I wrote this chapter, I realized that they would not miss a battle like this for all of the credits in the galaxy. So what did you guys think of this chapter? Did you think that I made the characters realistic enough, or too out of character? If you have any constructive criticism, feel free to share, and I will do my best to implement it. So, in other news, Squasher updated his Unexpected Jedi story, and it is an excellent chapter. You should check out his works, as they are strokes of genius. Well, I’d better get going, as I wrote quite a bit today, which is January 14, 2018, and I think that I’ll go to bed soon. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone. What did you all do for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 15, 2018? I saw the movie The Post, and worked for almost five hours at my movie theater, and both were a bit tough. I enjoyed the movie, as it has lessons that we should take into account in all aspects of life. Anyway, sorry if I won’t be able to write as much as I’d like tonight, but I have to go to bed in less than two hours in order to get some rest for school. I’ll try to write as much as I can in the limited time that I have. Well, let’s get started, as I have a lot of ground to cover in so little space and time.

_One Hour Later_

_Just Outside the Horuset System_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance 

 

“Well, this complicates the scope of what was supposed to be a simple extraction mission.” Celebion bluntly said as he observed the three-way space battle that was, according to the sensors from the _Second Chance_ , occurring above the only hospitable planet in the Horuset System, Korriban. The _Exactor_ and _Executrix_ , the flagships of both Darth Vader and Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, as well as the first two of the Empire’s growing list of _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, along with four Imperial Light Cruisers, were evenly matched against the Knights of Olpaka’s three _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, which prevented the two Imperial commanders from deploying the full might of their considerable arsenal against the forces of Saw Gerrera, Rahm Kota, and Berch Teller, which, together, composed of one _Providence_ -class Dreadnaught, a Nebulon-B Frigate, ten Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruisers, eight CR90 Blockade Runners, Eight Consular-class cruisers of the Charger c70 retrofit, three armed Pelta-class medical frigates, and a various ensemble of starfighters that ranged from more modern and advanced fighter craft such as the ARC-170, V-19 Torrent Starfighters, and droid Tri-Fighters, to older or less-used models, ranging from the CloakShape fighter, decommissioned Y-Wing fighters, Vulture Droid starfighers,R-22 Spearheads, and Z-95 Headhunters.

 

To add more fuel to the already roaring flames of war, there were intercepted reports of intensive ground fighting between the ground forces of the three factions near the tomb of XoXaan, one of the twelve surviving Dark Jedi Exiles from the Second Great Jedi Schism, and original Sith Lords in all of history, where, according to Tau’s intelligence, was where the fallen Jedi Master A”Sharad Hett was studying under the holocron of the late XoXaan.

 

“True. But, at least they haven’t detected us yet, which gives us a chance to plan our attack, as we’ll only get one chance at this.” Akuu said in his trademark collected and calculated tone.

 

“Agreed. But, it’s only a matter of time until they detect us, so we’d better come up with one heck of a plan.” Jarael replied.

 

“Don’t worry, we have one.” Tau said as he motioned for Arnine to change the tactical monitors to the image of the _Execrutrix_ , and said in a grim tone, “We’re going to destroy the _Executrix_ , which will give our ship an opening to make a run for Korriban’s surface, where Ahsoka, Butch and I will find Hett and bring him onto our ship, while the rest of you will help our forces survive Vader and the Knights’ onslaught. Once that is achieved, all of our forces will regroup above Caamas, where we’ll then make our run to the Tython System in order to get the Dagger of Mortis before Palpatine’s Inquisitors and Hand can get it. Any questions?”

 

“How can we take down Tarkin’s Star Destroyer? This ship, as advanced as it might be, can’t hope to match it in firepower, and there’s only nine of us in total, while there’s over nineteen thousand Stormtroopers in the system.” Ahsoka asked in disbelief at the calm tone in her fellow leader’s voice.

 

“Simple. We drop a bunch of thermal detonators down a reactor shaft, which will take out the Executrix and, hopefully, that demented demon, Tarkin.” Tau replied in a tone that, despite his controlled demeanor, betrayed his deep anger for the Grand Moff over his many heinous crimes against countless innocent people across the galaxy in the past and future, ranging form Atoa, Kashyyyk, Ghorman, Omwat, Dac, Despayre, Alderaan, and countless other worlds over Tarkin’s nineteen years under the Empire’s rule. He then added, “And, once the _Executrix_ self-destructs, it should damage the _Exactor_ enough to take it out of the fight, allowing us even better access for entering and leaving Korriban.”

 

“Here’s hoping.” Nagme said with equal loathing in her voice, as she despised Tarkin for destroying the ecosystems of countless pristine worlds in order to fuel the Imperial war machine, Vader for his hypocritical enslaving of innocents, and the Knights of Olpaka for their indiscriminate slaughters.

 

Tau then continued to speak, saying to Akuu, “Do we still have all of Robonino’s detonators?”

 

After a moment of silence to honor his Patrolian comrade that was killed by the One Sith back in his own time, Akuu said, “It’s like he never touched them.”

 

“Good. We’ll need at least ten of them. Oh, and be sure to pack a bunch of ion weaponry as well for when we face the Knights of Olpaka.” Tau said in grim satisfaction.

 

“Well, if we’re done with the planning, let’s get started on this mission, because we’ve got a lot to do, and so little time to do it.” Jarael said, eager to get this mission over with, as she did not look forward to seeing the past version of Darth Krayt.

 

_Ten Minutes Later_

_Onboard the_ Executrix _’s Command Bridge_

 

“Commodore Darcc, a Corellian YT-1300 freighter has requested to speak with you in Hangar Two. They claim to have vital information about the reason for these insurgents coming to Korriban.” The communications officer on the Star Destroyer’s bridge said to Hindane Darcc, the commanding officer of the _Executrix_ and its small but nimble task force of Light Cruisers.

 

“This better be genuine, or you’ll be heading into the brig for interrupting this operation, Lieutenant.” Hindane exasperatingly said to the young officer as he walked over to the man’s monitor, and then said, “Put it thorugh.”

 

After a moment, a strong and commanding voice was heard, and the male voice said, “T _his is the Emperor’s Hand, demanding to meet with Grand Moff Tarkin, the commanding officer of the Execturix.”_  

 

“Well, whoever you are, Grand Moff Tarkin is unavailable, as he’s aiding Lord Vader in a vital mission to destroy several Jedi agitators. This is Commodore Hindane Darcc, and I was told that you had information as to what these traitors are doing here. If you don’t provide a valid identification code in the next sixty seconds, I’ll have your ship impounded, and your ship’s crew will be tried and executed.” Hindane irritatingly said, annoyed that someone was likely playing a prank on him by impersonating one of the highest-ranking servants of Emperor Palpatine.

 

He then felt his throat tightening, and he began to gasp for breath. The voice came through again, and he barely heard the voice say, “ _Well, since you asked so nicely, you’ll get it. The recognition code is Hapspir, Barrini, Corbolan, Triaxis._ ” Once he finished speaking, the grip on Hindane’s throat was released, and, as Hindane gasped for breath on his knees, he continued to speak, saying, “ _Meet me and my associate in the ships reactor core, where we can be sure that there are no prying eyes. Alone, or the penalty for disloyalty will be high. You have fifteen minutes to arrive._ ”

 

 After Hindane took in enough oxygen for his strength to return, he said to his communications officer, who meekly said, “The code checks out, Commodore. It’s reserved for the highest-ranking members of the Emperor’s command.”

 

 “Very well. Helms, continue the attack as planned until I return, and allow the freighter to enter Hangar Two. Comms, send a burst transmission to Grand Moff Tarkin and Lord Vader so we can inform them of our guest.” Hindane said through the new sensation of fear and panic entering his body, and hoped that no one could detect his fear. He then left the bridge in order to meet who he hoped to be new allies, never knowing that this was the last time that he would walk on the _Executrix_ ’s bridge.

 

_Fifteen Minutes Later_

_Within the_ Executrix _’s Reactor Core_

_I can’t believe that you’re plan is working, Tau. I thought for sure that we’d get caught sooner rather than later._ Ahsoka telepathically said to Tau through a Force connection that they had established.

 

 _Have a little faith, Ahsoka. Edaan came up with a plan like this when he destroyed Natasi Daala’s flagship, the Star Destroyer_ Chimaera _, over seventy years from now. It should work even better on these idiots._ Tau confidently said as he saw an Imperial officer wearing a Commodore’s plaque approach them, and deviously whispered to her, “Watch this.” He then approached the commodore, and sarcastically said, “Well, so glad that you could make it on such short notice, Commodore. There’s just one thing that you can do for me.”

 

“W-What is that, Hand?” Hindane terrifyingly said as he struggled to avoid wetting himself on the spot.

  
Tau then adopted a gentle smile, and, as he pulled out a detonator, said, “Fall to your death, and the death of the _Executrix_.” He then pressed down on the detonator, and a series of violent explosions rocked the ship as the thermal detonators that Ahsoka and Tau placed all around the reactors, which nearly made Hindane fall off of the ledge.

 

Once Hindane regained his balance on an increasingly destabilizing ship, shouted to the two saboteurs “WHO ARE YOU!?!”

 

“You don’t know me, but perhaps you know my friend, Ahsoka Tano.” Tau viciously said before he used the Force to prevent a falling beam from crushing the two of them, and flung it away from everyone. He then felt the walkway for them beginning to give way, so, after a nod from Ahsoka, grimly said to Hindane, “You’d better pray that you die, because if you live, Tarkin and Vader will kill you for this blunder. Goodbye, Commodore Hindane Darc.” The two Force-Sensitives then ran away from the scene of their crime, leaving a devastated Hindane to contemplate his inevitable death before he saw the roaring inferno beside him, and made a choice to take his life into his own hands.

 

“Not that I’m complaining, but… that wasn’t a Jedi-like thing to do, leaving him to face his failure like that.” Ahsoka simply said as she felt Hindane’s death in the Force, and the two friends ran back to their ship in order to head to their ship in order to commence the second phase of their extraction mission.

 

“Hindane Darcc knowingly participated in the first assault on Kashyyyk that enslaved countless Wookiees, and no doubt killed countless other people under Tarkin’s wing. Trust me, what I said to him is a mercy to what Vader and Tarkin would do to him for losing such a prized Star Destroyer.” Tau said, neither defending or condemning his actions, feeling that some beings were, once they reached a certain point in their lives, would be beyond redemption, and only deserved capital punishment, but understanding what Ahsoka was saying. He then said, “Don’t worry, Ahsoka, I’m not going to make a habit of this.”

 

Ahsoka, partially mollified by Tau’s response, remembered her Wookiee friend Chewbacca, who helped her and two Jedi Younglings escape the Trandoshan moon of Wasskah, and worried over his fate.

 

After a handful of minutes, which seemed to last only seconds due to the two friends bolting to their ship, and quickly killing any Imperial forces that tried to stop them, the two Force-Sensitives made their way onto the Second Chance, and Tau immediately shouted into the ship’s intercom, “Akuu, get us down to the surface!”

 

“ _Consider it done, Tau._ ” Akuu quickly said as the _Second Chance_ blasted its way out of the _Executix_ ’s second hangar a minute before the ship was engulfed in a fiery explosion that slowly consumed the entire Star Destroyer. By the time that the ship exploded, which destroyed two of the Imperial Light Cruisers, the _Second Chance_ had entered Korriban’s atmosphere, and a significant amount of newly created debris collided into the four Star Destroyers that were engaging each other, destroying one Victory-class Star Destroyer, damaging the two others, and barely hitting the _Exactor_.

 

_On the Surface of Korriban_

_1.3 Kilometers from XoXaan’s Tomp_

 

Darth Vader and Wilhuff Tarkin could not believe the latest report from Captain Scalion on the _Exactor_ : A team of Jedi, a human male and Togruta female that each had two lightsabers attached to their belts, had tricked Commodore Darcc into letting them onboard the _Executrix_ , which allowed them to destroy the grand moff’s personal Star Destroyer through destroying the Star Destroyer’s reactor core. The last transmission from the doomed ship indicated that Darcc had perished in the chaos, and that the ship that ferried the two Jedi had escaped the explosions, and made its way to the surface of Korriban, where it landed at the enemy’s position one kilometer away from their position. The most baffling report, however, was that the ship had the proper clearance codes to impersonate an Emperor’s Hand, which all but meant that there was a security leak within Imperial High Command.

 

“Well, at least Commodore Darcc didn’t make it off of the ship, Lord Vader. Otherwise, I would have made him wish that he never entered the Imperial service.” Wilhuff irately said as he reexamined the Imperial’s position: Thanks to Ahsoka and the mysterious Jedi, the Imperial naval strength in the system had been cut in half, with forty percent of the Imperial ground strength killed on the _Executrix_. He then turned to face Darth Vader, and hastily said, “I recommend that we evacuate the system before we are overwhelmed, as the enemy now has superior numbers and firepower.”

 

“No.” Darth Vader simply replied before he continued, saying, “I can sense a Jedi Master within the tomb that the enemy is guarding, and we cannot afford to allow the insurgents to get ahold of him, as his warrior prowess could embolden these traitors.”

 

“With respect, Lord Vader, who could possibly constitute such a threat to the Empire?” Wilhuff said as he barely avoided a cannon blast from the enemy’s turrets that were erected a few hundred meters away, while Darth Vader just stood there as the turret and blaster fire barreled around him.

 

“The Jedi is A’Sharad Hett.” Vader venomously said in counter, which made Wilhuff realize that this was a personal mission for both the Jedi and Vader, which made his next decision all the easier to make.

 

The grand moff then said, “I hope that you have a plan, Lord Vader, because we barely have over ten thousand men at our disposal, and the majority of them are onboard the Exactor, which prevents us from using them due to the enemy’s space superiority.” 

 

“Have the men create a distraction while I take two elite squad of Clone Assassins and capture with the Jedi. When they are distracted, you can lead the men in a route against the insurgents. Only take the leaders alive. The rest of the traitors are expendable.” Vader coldly said as he activated his lightsaber in a gesture to challenge the rebels. Fortunately for their enemies, they did not take the bait, likely as a result of the leadership of Rahm Kota and Saw Gerrera.

 

“Very well, Lord Vader. The squads have been placed in reserve, and are at your disposal. Deliver death to the enemy, my lord.” Wilhuff dutifully said as he dispatched orders over his comlink.

_Five Minutes Later_

 

Vader remembered with vivid clarity how Ahsoka abandoned Anakin Skywalker after he worked tirelessly to prove her innocence, how A’Sharad Hett, the son of a filthy Tusken Raider, who dared lecture him on morality and personal accountability after all of the people like Shimi Skywalker Lars he had no doubt helped kill, and the as of yet unknown Jedi simply called Tau, who knew all about his history, tactics, and skills, which allowed him to go toe-to-toe with him during the Jedi’s break-in to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant less than a month previously, which had prompted him to send infamous Duros bounty hunter and Jedi hunter Cad Bane after self-proclaimed Jedi Knight Viridian Mallory and his known associates in the Unknown Regions. To add further insult to injury, he felt the presence of one of his renegade Inquisitors near him, which further enraged him due to the Jedi’s hypocrisy and former dogmatic control over the galaxy.

 

His anger and disgust for each of these individuals fueled his reserves of Dark Side power, and emboldened him to go after his enemies and kill them, but his master had demanded that they be taken alive in order to learn their secrets. Of course, that did not mean that he could not make them suffer before he captured them. That was why he was currently leading twenty-four Clone Assassins from the 501stLegion, his personal Stormtrooper legion that followed him into every battle from he went in from during and after the Clone War, behind enemy lines in order to sow confusion and fear into the enemies’ hearts, and force their hand. He would reach the makeshift headquarters of the enemy’s ground forces in about ten minutes, and he would unleash Chaos upon all of his foes.

_Meanwhile, in Saw Gerrera’s tent_

 

“Vader’s coming. And I can sense about twenty clone troopers with him.” Rahm Kota said to his fellow Rebel partisan, Saw Gerrera, who was slowly growing increasingly agitated at what he perceived as a suicide mission for no apparent reason.

 

“We can’t hold out against Vader’s full might, Kota. Either we find whatever it is that we were sent to retrieve fast, or we get the hell out of here, because there’s a lot more good that we can be doing if we weren’t sent to die on this dust ball of a planet.” Saw blatantly said moments before he saw who Rahm Kota instantly recognized as Ahsoka Tano, who Saw knew from her time forming an insurgency cell on the Inner Rim World of Onderon during the last year of the Clone War, before she left the Jedi Order after the Council bowed to what Kota perceived as useless infighting inside the Republic, and all but sent Ahsoka Tano to face what amounted to a rabid Quarra pack without any help. The other two visitors made Kota reach for his lightsaber before he restrained himself, remembering Senator Organa’s report on Tau Palpatine and his personal Tuk’ata hound, Butch.

 

“A-ahsoka!?! What in the Nine Corellian Hells are you… How are you… Why are you here?” Saw said as he barely managed to create a coherent response to a former comrade of his from the Clone War. 

 

“She’s here to help us rescue Jedi Master A’Sharad Hett from the Sith, Gerrera.” Tau said with a hint of disdain creeping into his voice, which Kota took as distaste for Gerrera’s aggressive tactics.

 

Nodding to Ahsoka in respect for her coming, he then turned to face Tau, sizing him up for the coming fight against Vader. He noticed the paint scheme on Tau’s ancient Jedi combat armor, and, thanks to his Mandalorian members of his militia, recognized the colors and symbols on the armor. Each piece of his armor was painted a different color, ranging from black, red, green, blue, orange, and black, as each color, according to Mandalorian culture, represented justice, honoring a parent, duty, reliability, a lust for life, and justice, respectively, as well as a pair of Jaig eyes on the chest plate in order to represent bravery in Mandalorian society. He then extended his connection to the Force into Tau’s mind, and was greeted by a great deal of mental scars and darkness that Kota recognized as a young man that had seen too much too soon. Kota could also sense a great deal of ambition mixed with hope and determination, and he found himself slightly liking Tau, if only that they shared a similar disposition and mindset.

 

He made a mental note to learn more about Tau after the mission, but, bringing his mind to the here and now, kept Saw from asking just who the young Jedi clone was, gruffly said, “So, do you two have a plan for rescuing General Hett from the Sith, or are we just going to wing it here?”

 

“Don’t worry, General Kota. We wouldn’t have come all of this way without having a good plan. While you go into XoXaan’s tomb and bring General Hett to the surface for an extraction, Ahsoka, Butch, and I will keep Vader’s attention focused on us, which will hopefully buy us enough time to get out of here with all of our lives. My ship and all available Starfighters can provide cover for us while we face Vader, keeping his focus divided, and preventing Tarkin from directly engaging us.” Tau explained, which Kota nodded in approved for his boldness, and suspected that, as a descendant of Darth Sidious, he must have at least a few tricks up his sleeve.

 

Saw, however, was not so convinced, and said, “Hold on, Kota. You seriously expect us to place our trust on an ex-Jedi who left us in our darkest hour, and a Jedi that you’ve only just met with all of our lives, let alone stand up to Vader and at least twenty Clone Assassins, not to mention these power suit wearing maniacs?!?”

 

“How many Knights are there?” Tau suddenly said as Butch growled menacingly at the mention of those reviled Knights.

 

“There was about fifty of them when the battle started. But, between us and the Imperials, twenty of them are still standing, despite our best efforts. They must be the elite of these Knights.” Rahm explained, silencing Saw before he could protest how Tau knew of these new enemies.

 

“Indeed.” Tau grimly said before he quickly said, “Contact Berch Teller on the _Remember Antar IV_ , and have him deploy any forces that he can spare, especially anyone proficient in ion-based weaponry. They’re vulnerable against ion weapons.”

 

Nodding at the professional attitude that Tau was displaying despite the odds laid against him, Kota immediately set to work on typing a message for the renegade Imperial agent.

 

“Well, I guess that there’s no turning back now.” Saw despondently said as he threw his hands up in the air at how everyone was committed to this all-but certain suicide mission.

 

“There was no turning back for any of us years ago, Saw. All we can do now if fight with all of our ability and skill, and pray that we emerge from it with our honor intact.” Tau cryptically said as he and his two companions headed out to preempt Vader’s ambush, while Rahm finished sending his message to Berch, and proceeded to acquire a landspeeder in order to head into XoXaan’s tomb for A’Sharad Hett.

 

Among all of the carnage unfolding around him, Saw simply said, “And this is why I like working alone. Less confusion, and I know all about the mission.” He then walked outside the tent, and went to prepare his men for the inevitable Imperial charge that would erupt once Vader engaged Ahsoka, Tau, and Butch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, cut! That’s the end of another chapter of my latest story. So, what did you think? Do you think that I made Tau too ruthless, and that I portrayed Saw and Rahm accurately, as I appreciate such small but important details? Feel free to give me some honest feedback, as I value your input. So, how was your day today? I had school today, on January 16, 2018, and I had two classes on two different times of the day, so I was very busy. I was lucky that I had enough time to finish this chapter. Well, in other news, I might be getting a snow day tomorrow, which could prevent me from getting the latest Injustice 2 comic, which will be a big let-down for me today. Oh, before I forget, you’ll be seeing more of the Knights of Olpaka in the next chapter, as a chance for more of the crew of the Second Chance a chance to shine. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, as there will be more to come in the next few days. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, my friends, and long Live the Expanded Universe!


	9. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone! How are you doing on the snowy day of January 17, 2018? I’m doing well, as I don’t have to work at my movie theater today, and I have the day off from school, which gives me plenty of time to write my latest chapter. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to get the next Injustice 2 comic today to the inclement weather, so that’s a bit of a letdown. Anyway, I’d better get started on this chapter, as I only have so much free time on my hands these days. As always, read, review, but most of all, enjoy!

_Two Minutes Later_

 

Vader and his twenty-four Clone Assassins were only six hundred meters from the enemy’s positon when all hell broke loose, as the Knights of Olpaka, which, until today, had been considered a minor threat to the Empire’s stability and increasing reach across the galaxy, ambushed Vader and his men, quickly killing eight of the assassins before the Imperial forces were able to regroup, and slit the throats of four of the ten lightly-armored Knights, while Vader simply used the Force to telekinetically throw large boulders at the more heavily-armored Knights, killing three of the ten Knights upon impact. The surviving Knights were, so far, holding their own against the nimble assassins and Sith Lord, but they would eventually be overwhelmed by Vader’s superior and unrelenting might.

 

To further escalate the growing catastrophe of the Imperial Army, Ahsoka, Tau, and a Tuk’ata hound that reeked of the Light side of the Force had taken this opportunity to attack the Clones from their right flank, killing two of them in seconds, and slicing up two of the distracted Knights.

 

As soon as Vader saw Tau and Ahsoka, his rage had exponentially increased beyond his control, used the Force to crush one of the Knights within her armor, killing her within seconds, and threw the corpse at the two Force-users, catching their attention, and sending the ten remaining Knights into a frenzy. They all charged at Vader with their repulsor boots, but the Sith Apprentice merely applied a small amount of pressure with the Force in order to cause the boots to detonate, killing four of the Knights instantly, while the remaining six detached the repulsorlifts before they exploded, saving their lives.

 

They then used their Verpine shatter pistols against Vader, who just raised his hand, and the blasts didn’t even reach his armor, as hit bounced off of his glove as if it was rain. He then gripped his free hand, and the Knights’ pistols exploded in their hands, taking their hands and forearms off as well, which caused the Knights to howl in excruciating pain at the loss of their limbs, leaving them vulnerable to Vader’s lightsaber, which hacked off the heads of each of the Knights, their decapitated corpses quickly falling to the ground one after another.

 

Upon seeing that his first set of enemies had been defeated, he turned to face Ahsoka, Tau, and Butch, who had just finished off the last three Clone Assassins that Vader commanded. Vader then said in a form of mock praise to his opponents, “You did well to dispatch my assassins, traitors, but you will not fare so well against a Dark Lord of the Sith.”

 

“’Traitors?’ Interesting, Anakin, because, from where we’re standing, we didn’t betray everyone who ever believed in you to join an old megalomaniac in a selfish lust for power!” Ahsoka exclaimed to Vader, distraught at how far he had fallen after she had last seen him before the Siege of Mandalore commenced a month before the Clone War ended.

 

“Anakin Skywalker is dead. I killed him because his sentimentality made him vulnerable to the Dark Side.” Vader dismissively said, thinking that it would further devastate Ahsoka, while all it did was fuel her determination to redeem him.

 

“And you took his place. How fitting for a man who destroyed countless innocent lives, all of them on a selfish whim, to be trapped for all of his remaining years in a suit that reminds you of what you lost.” Tau spat out to his adversary, his rage at seeing Darth Vader again evident in the intensity of his sky-blue eyes. He then continued, saying, “You and Sidious will fall, and we’ll put the galaxy that you would seek to enslave right again, you _sleemo_.”

 

“My master has demanded your survival for interrogation. But, he did not say that you had to be in one piece.” Vader said in a sadistic tone, which made Butch growl in defense of his master and new friend. He then spared a glance at the rogue Tuk’ata hound, and dismissively said, “I don’t know how you perverted a Sith Hound to serve weaklings like yourselves, but it matters not. Your beast will die, and you will eventually follow. Now, surrender, or suffer.”

 

It was then that Vader heard a ship approach, and saw a CEC YT-1300 Light Freighter, along with twelve Vulture Droid Starfighters, head straight for him, and the freighter fired a series of concussion missiles at Vader, while the Vulture Droids fired bursts of energy at the Sith Lord, forcing him to jump in order to avoid the barrage of firepower.

 

While Vader was distracted, Butch took the chance to leap at Vader, and sliced at his back, damaging his armor, and inflicting significant pain in the fallen Jedi’s back, which made Vader groan in agony. Taking the opportunity to attack, Tau and Ahsoka used the Force to push Vader away from Butch before he could retaliate, and they pushed him into a stone wall, pinning him in place for a handful of seconds before he broke free from their hold on him, and landed with near gracefulness on the ground. Not willing to allow Vader to dictate the terms of the battle, the two Force-Sensitives charged at Vader, beginning the lightsaber duel between the three duelists in earnest.

_Meanwhile, Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

“Celebion, Ventis, we’ve got five TIE Fighters approaching from eight-o-clock. Take them down!” Akuu shouted into the ship’s intercom as he barreled and weaved through the hail of laser fire that was being directed at them. A handful of seconds later, all but two of the TIE Fighters were destroyed by the Dunedain Ranger and Jedi Apprentice, and the surviving Imperials retreated before they joined their brothers in the Shadow.

 

“Nice work.” Akuu said in praise to his two friends before he saw an Imperial charge that was being led by an aging human male that Akuu recognized as Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, the ruler of the Oversector Outer, which comprised the entire Outer Rim. Seeing a chance to take out another of the Empire’s most prominent military leaders in one fell stroke, he said in to the ship’s intercom, “Alright, guys, listen up! We’ve got one chance to take out Grand Moff Tarkin, and I’m going to take it. Make your shots count, because we won’t get another chance at this. I’m making a run for Tarkin now. Arnine, transfer all available power to the shields, turrets, and engines, and then have the Vulture droids follow our lead.”  

 

The R9 astromech droid complied, and within seconds, the Anzati pilot could feel the accelerating speed of the Second Chance, and shouted to no one in particular, “All right, boys, here we go!!”

 

_Back on the Surface of Korriban_

Grand Moff Tarkin was not happy, which was a common mood for him. However, he was especially incensed today, as he had just lost his command Star Destroyer, the _Executrix_ , and was now trapped on a deathtrap of the world of Korriban by insurgents that were hell-bent on destroying the Galactic Empire that was keeping order throughout the galaxy. To add further insult to injury, Darth Vader’s plan of capturing the renegade rebel cell leaders and Jedi that were within the system was falling apart, as he was being delayed by Ahsoka Tano and Tau, who had captured all of Vader’s attention, further compromising the safety of both of the leaders, as well as the men under their command.

 

This was why he was leading a charge of the surviving Stormtroopers from the 501stand 3rdlegions against the enemy’s positon, as it was the only option that promised a chance to salvage this disaster of a mission. And, so far, the charge was working, as the two thousand surviving Stormtrooper were making excellent headway in advancing to the enemy’s camp, with only about fifty Stormtroopers being shot from the blasters and turrets of the insurrectionists.

 

However, just when the Imperial army was two hundred meters away from the enemy’s positon, everyone heard a familiar sound of starfighters rapidly approach them, and Wilhuff looked up to see the YT-1300 Light Freighter, along with ten Vulture Droids, strafing the skies with laser fire of various intensities, and created craters in the ground, vaporizing at least two hundred Stormtroopers into dust, launching many others into the air, where they then fell onto the ground, breaking various bones, and killing many of them from the impact, and scattering the rest.

 

Somehow, however, Wilhuff remained unharmed through the blasterfire, but was unprepared for what came next: The Ten remaining Vultre Droids landed on the ground, retracted their legs to stand on them, and began to basically plow their way through the broken ranks of the Imperials, knocking aside dozens Stormtroopers and officers as if they were nothing more than twigs. Even worse for the beleaguered forces, the Partisans, Kota’s Militia, and the recruits of Berch Teller’s rebel cell took this opportunity to charge at their now vulnerable enemies, catching Wilhuff’s forces unaware and began killing ten Stormtroopers for every rebel that fell.

 

Wilhuff, realizing that his forces could not win against the traitors now that they held the tactical advantage, decided to do something that he had done only twice before in his military command: Admit defeat in order to live to fight another day. He immediately pulled out his comlink and brusquely said into it, “All forces, this is Grand Moff Tarkin. Our position in the Hourset System is unsustainable. Evacuate all Imperial personnel, and prepare to retreat from the system. Grand Moff Tarkin, out.” He then expected to have Vader choke him in a trademark fashion through his command of the Force, but, to his surprise, nothing happened. This lack of events meant one of two things: either Lord Vader was too occupied with the Jedi in order to kill him, or, the second option was less likely, he concurred with his assessment, and was preparing to pull out of the system.

 

_Concurrently, Within the Tomb of XoXaan_

 

“Hett? A’Sharad Hett!?!?” Rahm shouted as he entered the tomb of one of the first Sith Lords in all of history.

 

After a moment of silence, an echo of a voice that Rahm recognized as the voice of the fallen Jedi Master, who menacingly said, “You should not have come here, Master Kota. I am learning the secrets of the Sith in order to defeat Sidious and Vader. Leave this planet, and never return.”

 

“I can’t do that, Hett. Vader knows that you’re here, and, if he can’t kill you himself, then he’ll unleash an orbital bombardment on your hideout in order to trap you here until you die. Your only chance of living to fight against Vader and Sidious is to come with us.” Rahm countered with nothing but pure truth, all the while struggling to figure out where the former Tusken Raider was hiding.

 

“I know that Vader is Anakin Skywalker, and I could have stopped his fall to darkness if I told the Council what I knew. But, in my desire to see Anakin rise above his sins, I let him become twisted by Palpatine into Darth Vader, and caused the death of the Jedi Order and the Republic.” A’Sharad said, his voice full of remorse as he spoke, which stunned the Jedi Master into silence. He then spoke again, saying, “I warn you one last time. Leave this planet, and never return. Otherwise, I will make you leave.”

 

“How about a third option, Hett?” Jarael defiantly said as she stepped into Rahm’s vision, irritating him that she would so recklessly put herself in danger against a formerly legendary Jedi Master.

 

Ignoring the glare that Rahm was pointing at her, she boldly continued, saying in an uncharacteristically harsh and angry tone, “We drag your stubborn _shebs_ out of this domain of evil, and beat some sense into you before you become Darth Krayt, the Dread Lord of the Sith that terrorized the galaxy before Edaan Palpatine, a great Jedi Master, and my most trusted friend who gave me a second chance at life when no one else would, stopped you at the cost of your own life.”

 

“Lies!” A’Sharad ardently denied as he jumped down from the ceiling in order to stare into the eyes of the Iskalloni woman who would dare make such absurd accusations against him.

 

While Rahm ignited his lightsaber in the event that Hett made any aggressive moves, Jarael simply stared down at the past version of the man who tortured her and her friends. Feeling a stinging sensation in her mind, and knowing what it meant, she allowed Hett access to her memories, and she showed him her memories of Hett, as Darth Krayt, reveal his past to her and several other individuals that Hett did not recognize, including the deaths of both his father, the legendary Jedi Knight and noble Tusken warlord Sharad Hett, and the Jedi that he loved, the Twi’lek Jedi Knight and general, Xiaan Amersu, which shocked Hett to his core, as he never told anyone about the reciprocated love that he held for his fellow Jedi General.

 

Beginning to believe Jarael’s words, he looked deeper into her memories, and saw how he told her how he came to Korriban, and stayed for forty years to discover the key to destroying the Sith, not knowing that they had already fallen to the beginning of a new Jedi Order. Bereft of all purpose, he fled into the Unknown Regions, where he was captured by a scout ship of an extragalactic race of invaders called the Yuuzhan Vong, and was tortured and experimented by them, all the while being corrupted further by the fallen Jedi Knight and Sith acolyte Vergere, transforming him into the Dread Lord of the Sith, Darth Krayt. After escaping the doomed scout ship, he returned to Korriban, where he started a new Sith Order called the One Sith, and, over the next three decades, his order grew in strength until it was destroyed by the last living descendant of Darth Sidious, Edaan Palpatine, and his Shadow Alliance that was composed of the various galactic governments of his time.

 

Seeing enough, he stopped the flow of memories and fell to the floor in despair, as the full scope of his sins, both past, present, and future, were realized by the fallen Jedi Master. He then resigned himself to death, and said in defeat to Jarael and Rahm, “Do what you have to do to stop me.”

 

“Oh, no, Hett. We’re not here to kill you, as tempting it might be. We’re here to save you, and to recruit you into the new Shadow Alliance, because there are worse things out there than the Yuuzhan Vong and Sith, and we’re going to need every man and woman that we can get if we’re going to survive the threats that will soon come.” Jarael intensely said, shocking the bounty hunter, as he expected death to come to him from this woman, as he could sense the hatred coming off of her in waves. She then said in a tone that would brook no argument, “Now get up. You can start your redemption by helping us take down Vader, as Tau Palpatine and Ahsoka Tano are buying us time for this little conversation.”

 

“ _Do not believe this harlot’s words, my pupil. She is merely trying to deceive you into turning away from true power._ ” A menacing female voice said as a holographic image of a humanoid woman covered in several tattoo designs appeared from the sarcophagus in the room, which made Rahm and Jarael assume that this was the holocron of the Jedi Exile XoXaan.

 

“XoXaan, I presume?” Jarael said in inquiry, with A’Sharad nodding his head in confirmation. She then said to the avatar, “Listen, you old hag, I will not allow you to corrupt Hett a second time, and I’ll destroy your holocorn right here and now.”

 

She then walked to the sarcophagus, and opened it to reveal the holocron. But, before she could blast it into oblivion, Rahm and A’Sharad urgently shouted, “NO!!!”

 

Rahm continued to speak, saying, “If you destroy a Sith Holocron, then its essence will be released into its shards, and corrupt you into a servant of the Sith, just like Exar Kun did to the first twenty Jedi that were deceived by him during the First Sith War.”

 

“Then what do we do with it? We can’t just leave it here, and I’m sure as hell not going to let Vader or Sidious get their hands on it.” Jarael said, not willing to let the matter drop just because of the Sith holocron’s capabilities.

 

“Then we take it with us.” Rahm said, causing A’Sharad and Jarael to look at him as if he was talking in Huttese. He then continued, saying, “We’re not going to use it, but we might be able to lock it away somewhere safe once we finish our mission on Mortis.”

 

“Mortis?” A’Sharad said in disbelief at the mention of the monolith where Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka encountered a group of powerful Force Adepts during the final year of the Clone War, and said, “What could you possibly want there?”

 

“A weapon capable of killing Celestial monsters.” Jarael enigmatically said as she took the Sith holocron into her hands and placed it into a pocket within her armor, and the image of XoXaan disappeared in a fading scream, vowing what she assumed to be revenge in the ancient tongue of the Sith Pureblood race. Facing the two fighters, she said, “Now, let’s get out of this madhouse, and plan our next move. Hett, you’ll come with us on the _Second Chance_ , as it’ll take too long for you to get your ship up and running before the Empire bombards this place.”

 

Nodding his head in agreement, and having a new loathing for this planet, A’Sharad followed Jarael and Rahm as they led the way to the tomb, only to run into a retreating Tau, Butch, and Ahsoka, who, despite being alive and in one piece, had been battered and bruised in several locations by Vader, who shared his fair share of wounds and lightsaber injuries as well.

 

“At last we meet, Masters Kota and Hett. You will all surrender now, and give me the holocron that rightfully belongs to the Sith, and I will show you mercy.”  Vader haughtily said as he slowly walked towards the two Jedi and medic.

 

“You mean the same kind of mercy that you showed the Younglings at the Jedi Temple during Order Sixty-Six, Skywalker?!?” A’Sharad growled out, struggling to control his rage at seeing the former Chosen One that was now Sidious’s apprentice, and enforcer of the most brutal regime in nearly a thousand years, as he remembered the screams that the Younglings emitted through the Force over four years ago. He then continued, saying, “You deserve this prison of your own making.”

 

“You, who were once a slave and great Jedi, now enslave millions of innocents, and murders even more, and are a slave to the Dark Side of the Force, putting you in your own personal hell.” Rahm said in concurrence with A’Sharad’s sentiment.

 

“Enough. My patience is at an end, Jedi. Now, surrender, or I will-AUGH!!” Vader said before he screamed in pain from what Tau recognized as five Yuuzhan Vong Thud Bugs, which were thrown at his back and legs, digging into his charred flesh, and caused him excruciating pain that caused him to fall to his knees in agony.

 

Everyone then saw the unmasqued form of an irate Nagme, who was flanked by Saw Gerrera and ten of his highest-ranking Partisans, who had their blasters drawn out in order to finish Vader off.

 

However, before they could do so, everyone heard a sound that everyone recognized with dread: the orbital bombardment of the surrounding area, which disintegrated much of the land around the freedom fighters, and created a mass panic among the troops as they struggled to get to the evacuating shuttles, many of them being left behind in the chaos that followed. Fortunately for them, several shuttles from Berch Teller’s ships, and the _Second Chance_ , were landing, and the remaining rebel forces bolted away from the doomed tomb in order to make it to safety in space.

 

As soon as the _Second Chance_ landed, it took on fifteen rebels before Celebion shouted at the top of his lungs, “COME ON!!! WE HAVE TO GO NOW!!!”

 

Taking this as everyone’s cue to leave, the ten remaining Partisans, including Saw, who threw one sneer at Vader as he fled to the nearby escape vessel, and the Force users and Jarael quickly followed suit, with Ahsoka throwing a sad look at her former master, as she knew that she couldn’t save Vader just yet, as she was not strong enough to reach Anakin, but prayed to whatever god was out there that he would survive the bombardment that Tarkin was deploying at them.

 

As everyone made their way to he _Second Chance_ , A’Sharad sensed a dark burden suddenly lifted off of his shoulders. Immediately realizing what this meant, he turned around to see Vader clutching XoXaan’s holocron as he limped his way into XoXaan’s tomb in an effort to escape the bombardment. Realizing that the holocorn was lost, and that it would be suicide to go after it, he resumed his bolt to the _Second Chance_.

 

Once Hett entered the ship, the boarding ramp immediately shut, and Tau shouted into the intercom, “Akuu, that’s everyone! PUNCH IT!!!” The ship, despite its increased weight due to the influx of passengers, quickly made its way into the atmosphere of Korriban, where it saw the remaining Imperial Star Destroyer, the _Exactor_ , bombarding the planet’s surface as it was surrounded by the debris of one of the two remaining Knights of Olpaka Victory-class Star Destroyers, which indicated that the last vessel under their command fled the doomed battle, and the remaining shuttles and capital ships that belonged to the various rebel cells quickly made their way into hyperspace to the predetermined destination of the desolate Core World of Caamas.

 

After about five minutes of everyone catching their breath, Tau enthusiastically said to everyone, “All right, everyone, we dealt a big blow against the Empire by taking out Tarkin’s Star Destroyer, we may have taken out Darth Vader in the process, and got a new Jedi Master in the process. I’d say that mission accomplished. We’ll drop you off to your ships at Caamas in about two days. Until then, get some rest. You’ve all earned it.” 

 

The twenty-five soldiers cheered in response to this praise, and they went to a bunk or spare space in the Second Chance in order to recuperate from their first coordinated mission among the disorganized rebel cells.

 

Rahm, Saw. and A’Sharad stayed behind to discuss the mission with Tau, Ahsoka, Nagme, Jarael, and Butch. But, before they could begin, Tau fearfully asked A’Sharad, “A’Sharad, I can’t sense the Sith holocron on the ship. Did Vader get his hands on it?”

 

“Yes.” The Jedi/Bounty Hunter shamefully said as he looked down for losing such a valuable resource for the Sith. “He got it while we were heading to your ship, and fled into XoXaan’s tomb. We have to consider the probability that he survived the bombardment, and will deliver the holocorn to his master.”

 

“Great.” Jareal irritatingly said as she realized that Sidious and Vader would soon know of Tau’s lineage, as well as portions of the original future, which could force the Shadow

Alliance’s hand before they were ready, not to mention the fact that Nagme revealed her true form to both the enemy and their potential allies, which could cause her death unless they came up with a good explanation for her appearance.

 

_Two Hours Later, in the Horuset System_

_Onbaord the_ Exactor

 

“Lord Vader, this is Grand Moff Tarkin. Please respond. Over.” Wilhuff said over the Star Destroyer’s comm unit, only to hear static. Fearing the worst, Tarkin tried again, this time on an open frequency, repeating, “Lord Vader, this is Grand Moff Tarkin. Please respond. Over.”

 

“ _You are very lucky that I would have done the same thing in your position, Grand Moff, and that I now know who our enemy is, otherwise, I would execute you for attempted treason._ ” Vader’s rasping voice said as the image of a heavily wounded Vader appeared on the holoscreen, which showed him in an ARC-170 Starfighter, flying on a course to the _Exactor_ ’s main hangar.

 

Once the starfighter entered the hangar, the Sith Lord ordered, “ _Plot a course for Imperial Center. I have new intelligence that must be personally relayed to the Emperor._ ”

 

Not understanding what knowledge that could be so important than chasing down a sizeable and formidable fleet of guerrilla fighters led by several Jedi, but grateful that he had escaped with his life intact, Tarkin immediately complied, saying, “As you wish, Lord Vader. Navigation, plot a course for Imperial Center. I want us there in three days.”

 

“Yes, Grand Moff Tarkin.” The navigator said as the Star Destroyer and its one remaining Imperial Light Cruiser entered hyperspace, and Tarkin just wondered how he would explain this disaster of a campaign to the Emperor while surviving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends the first big battle between the Shadow Alliance and the Galactic Empire. If you’re wondering why the battle was so one-sided, let me explain. You see, the Empire is not yet aware of the Shadow Alliance, but, due to Vader getting XoXaan’s holocron and knowing of Tau’s origins, Sidious will soon realize the magnitude that this Jedi Knight represents. So, the next chapter will be mostly filler, as our heroes will reconvene above Caamas in order to regroup and prepare for the mission to the Mortis Monolith, which will be just as challenging for the heroes, if not more so, as they will endure great spiritual trials while within the monolith. Well, I guess that that’s it for this chapter. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you on the day of January 18, 2018, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	10. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone! How are you doing on this snowy night of January 18, 2018? I’m doing well, as I didn’t have school today due to the inclement weather from the snow that fell yesterday morning, which gives me plenty of time to write the next chapter of my story. Fair warning, there will be no action in this chapter, but there will be a heavy amount of dialogue in it, as the Dramatis Personae have a lot to discuss about their plans. Well, let’s get to it, as I have a lot to write, but so much time to do it in. Oh, before I forget, this chapter will include one of Squasher’s OCs. Just a little hint of what to expect. And, even better, I saw the reveal trailer for Middle-Earth: Shadow of War: The Blade of Galadriel, and it was epic. I hope that Eltariel can redeem herself and return home, as I pity her and her endless struggle against the Nazgul. Well, time to write.
> 
> (January 19, 2018 Addendum.) Hey, guys. What’s up on this cold day? I have a request for you. My mother was in a car accident a little while ago, and she’s a little sore, so, if you could pray or hope, as I don’t know if you’re religious or not, that she recovers quickly, I would appreciate it. Well, I’d better get back to writing, as I have a little more ground to cover before I finish this chapter.

_Two Hours Later_

_On the_ Second Chance

_In Hyperspace_

_Forty Hours From Caamas_

 

“Well, now that we’re safe from Vader and Tarkin’s grip, I’ve got a few good questions for you all. And I’m starting with who in the galaxy are you people, as you don’t often see two Jedi, a former Jedi Padawan, an Iskalloni as a humane medic, an Anzati Mandalorian, a fellow human in old armor, and whatever the heck you are, lady, not to mention your personal mutant hound.” Saw irritatingly said as he looked at Tau, Ventis, Ahsoka, Jarael, Akuu, Celebion, Nagme, and Butch, the latter two staring at Saw with a heated glare, which he returned with equal intensity.

 

“These ‘people’ have names, Saw.” Tau said in irritation of Saw’s lack of basic manners. He then continued, saying, “My friends’ names are Ventis Uriel, my apprentice; Ahsoka Tano, who you already know from the Clone War; Jarael Chantique, our medic and psychologist; Akuu Seii II, a master assassin and Mandalorian mercenary; Celebion, a Dunedain Ranger of the Free Peoples of Arda; Nagme Jamaane, formerly of the Yuuzhan Vong; and Butch, my closest friend and loyal companion.”

 

“Okay… Now I have two other questions for you: What’s a ‘Dunedain Ranger’ and ‘Yuuzhan Vong’?” Saw skeptically asked, as he had never heard of the groups or species that Celebion and Nagme belonged to, respectively.

 

“Trust me, Saw, we’ll answer all of your questions when we have the meeting with our Senatorial allies in about two months.” Tau said in order to quiet Saw’s questions, as he was tired after the fight with Vader.

 

“Just one more question for you, Ta-” Saw began before Arnine came into view, and began to speak, surprising Saw with what the droid called Tau, and immediately pulled out his blaster in response, shouting, “You’re a PALPATINE?!?”

 

Upon hearing those three words, Saw’s Partisans, as well as a few members of Kota’s militia, raised their blasters in Tau’s direction in shock and outrage.

 

Realizing that a blasterfight was about to erupt, Ahsoka and Rahm raised their lightsabers in defense of Tau, and cut Saw’s blaster rifle into three pieces, reducing it into a pile of rubble.

Rahm then said to his five men, “Stand down right now, or you’ll all be looking a court-martial once we reach Caamas!”

 

Not wanting to get on their general’s bad side, Rahm’s men lowered their blasters in fear of him, while five of Saw’s Partisans followed suite, with the remaining ten men following their leader’s lead, and keeping their blasters pointed at the cloned Jedi Knight.

 

“What the kriff is going on here?!?” Saw said in disbelief as he failed to process this information in his mind, and continued to speak, saying, “How can any of you take orders from a Palpatine after what his father has done?!?”

 

“Okay, first off, I am the great-great-grandson of the founder of his Empire, not his son. Second, I plan to overthrow and kill the Emperor once we build up a force capable of defeating all of the threats in this galaxy. And, third, if I were anything like my ancestor, I’d kill you for raising a blaster in me in an attempt to kill me.” To drive his last point home for Saw, he pointed at the lightsaber that he had pointed at Saw’s head, which made him realize that he couldn’t beat this enemy through brute force, and that he needed a good plan if he was going to kill this would-be dictator.

 

Calling off his remaining Partisans, Saw said in consideration, “You raise a valid point. So, I take it that you’ll answer all of my questions in fifty days, when the meeting between us takes place on Nar Shaddaa?”

 

“Actually, I was hoping that we could have the meeting on Lah’mu, where you hid Galen, Lyra, and Jyn Erso in order to slow down the Empire’s arming of lightsaber crystals.” Tau causally said.

 

This casual utterance of one of Saw’s greatest secrets nearly made him try to throttle the young Jedi on the spot before he reigned in his destructive impulses, and asked as calmly as he could, “Who told you about this, and who do I need to put down before they tell the Empire?”

 

“No one, Saw, because I found out this knowledge over seventy years from now, and no one told the Empire about Galen’s whereabouts until he was discovered by Orson Callen Krennic two years from now.” Tau said in a matter-of-fact tone.

 

Realizing that his growing list of questions that he needed answered before he killed Tau, Saw simply said, “Then we have even more to talk about on Lah’mu. I’ll tell Senator Organa about this change in the location for the meeting, and let the Ersos know to be expecting a few Jedi and their allies in fifty days.”

 

“Thank you.” Tau graciously said as his crew members went about their respective duties on the ship. Immediately afterwards, he heard a beeping sound come from his pocket. Pulling out his personal Holonet communicator, and seeing that it was from his contact in the Unknown Regions, politely asked Saw, “Listen, do you mind if I take this call? It’s from another Jedi that I’m working with.”

 

“Jedi business, I take it? Don’t stop me from whatever grand conspiracy that you’ve got cooking. I’ll be with my boys while your medic patches them up from taking on Vader and Tarkin. Stay alive, Tau because I’ve got a lot of questions for you in that meeting.” Saw said as he went to follow Jarael to the ship’s medbay, where she would be aiding the injured men and women onboard until they reached Caamas.

 

Once Saw was out of hearing range, Tau turned to Rahm, Ventis, Ahsoka, Butch, and A’Sharad, and said “You guys want to stick around, because I’m about to talk with a good friend of mine, who I know that Ahsoka was friends with, as she knew him from her time as a Youngling?”

 

Immediately realizing just who Tau was referring to, Ahsoka and Ventis quickly smiled as they sat down next to Tau, while Butch sat at Tau’s feet, and the others stood up as Tau activated his Holonet communicator, and image of Viridian Mallory came into focus, revealing him to be in what Tau assumed to be a school’s uniform, which confused everyone but Tau and Ventis. Tau then joyously said, “Viridian, this is a surprise, but not an unpleasant one. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure, my friend?” 

 

“ _It’s good to hear from you too, Tau._ ” Viridian said as he turned to face Ventis, and said, “ _You too, Ventis. I’m glad to see that you’re doing well._ ” He then saw Ahsoka, his eyes widened in shock, and he then gladly said, “ _Ahsoka? Ahsoka Tano!? Well, it’s been a long time since we last saw each other! How goes your work as Fulcrum for Senator Organa?_ ”

 

Not surprised in the slightest that her old friend knew of her secret identity, Ahsoka continued to smile as she said, “It’s moving slowly, Viridian. But, now that Tau’s here, we have a chance to accelerate things along exponentially.”

 

“ _Good. Good. You’ll need him in order to prepare for what is to come from the Yuuzhan Vong and rogue Celestials._ ”  Viridian said in complete seriousness, as he recalled the immeasurable power that he felt from Sauron during his encounter him in his fortress of Dol Guldur, and the many battles with the Yuuzhan Vong in order to drive them off of Arda. Shaking himself out of his reflection, he turned to Rahm, and respectfully said to him, “ _Master Kota. It’s good to see you again. I take it that Senator Organa and Tau have been putting you to work?”_

 

After Rahm chuckled at Viridian’s banter with him, the grizzled Jedi Master said, “You could say that, Viridian. A better question would be why you look like a student of some preppy academy, and not like a Jedi.”

 

“ _Well, Master Kota, that’s a long story, one that I’ll be happy to share with you once my mission on Remnant is over._ ” Viridian evasively said as he turned to face A’Sharad, and the smile dropped from his face as he said, “ _So, Master Hett, did Tau tell you of what you would have become if he and his friends hadn’t intervened?_ ” 

 

The Jedi Master sighed in sorrow as he lowered his head and said, ‘Yes, Viridian. His friend Jarael showed me how I became a Sith Lord, and how his brother Edaan killed me in order to stop my Sith order from conquering the galaxy. I fully intent to avoid that path, especially now that XoXaan’s holocron is out of my possession.”

 

Viridian then said in a satisfactory manner, “ _Excellent. So, I take it that the holocron is going to be locked away, then?_ ”

 

Tau then looked rather sheepish, which indicated that something was wrong with the situation, but, before Viridian could ask what happened, A’Sharad somberly said, “Vader has the holocron, and is delivering it to Sidious on Coruscant as we speak.”

 

Viridian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he said, "Do you want me to come in and help you retrieve the damn thing?"

 

"No, Viridian. You guys have enough on your plate as it is, and Sidious will have that thing guarded better than the vaults on Aargau. Besides, I think that we can make this work to our advantage. Once Sidious knows who I am, he will be so focused on eliminating me as a threat to his rule, that he won't direct his full attention on the alliance that we're building." Tau said as he rubbed his chin in thought as he spoke to Viridian over his personal Holonet communicator.

 

" _Alright... so how is everything else going?_ " Viridian hesitatingly asked, fearing the answer after learning that XoXaan’s holocron would soon be in Sidious’s possession.

 

"Well, Viridian, I can’t complain. We got Senators Organa, Mothma, and Bel Iblis to join us, destroyed Tarkin's personal Star Destroyer, rescued A'Sharad Hett from his darkness, and gained a few rebel cells in the process for our Shadow Alliance. All in all, I'd call that a good few days. How are things going on your front?" Tau briefly summed up, before he remembered the task that Viridian asked him to do, and said, "Oh, and Amber is safely stowed away. So, how are things going on your front, and how’s Admiral Libel doing?"

 

" _Tau... I am going to be honest... I hate high school._ " Viridian said, " _I mean I get it the academy is meant to teach these people how to fight the Grimm but seriously being cooped up in a class room gets very boring! Then again, I have spent the last few years fighting most of the time. But, aside from that I have yet to find the culprit that took Amber's soul fragment, I think she's waiting for the opportunity to strike, my best guess would be at the end of the year._ " Viridian said holding up a small marble like object the Vala known as Aule the Smith had given him during their meeting with the Vala. Remembering the last thing that Tau had said, he quickly added, “ _Oh, Dylan’s doing great. He and the 777 thare getting recruits from all of our safe havens in the Unknown Regions, and is helping then whipping them into an effective fighting force._”

 

"Well, now I'm ever more relieved that I chose to build the Shadow Alliance in the known galaxy, as I would have hated high school, whatever that is. And besides, fighting is in my blood, literally, since my brother spent twelve years of his life fighting when he joined his Jedi Order, so I'd have gotten bored on the first day." Tau said as he chuckled in amusement at his friend's complaining.

 

" _Well,_ _there are some nice things about it._ " Viridian admitted, " _I am making a lot of friends... and enemies, unfortunately. I have also been getting a lot of girls trying to how do they say it, get it on with me, fortunately Kes was there, and let’s just say the showing we made will stop that from happening again. But enough about that, I think that whoever took Amber's soul is going to strike on the Vytal festival in the fall of next year at the end of the school year and end of summer, it would not only be the best time but the Symbol it represents as well._ "

 

"Well, Viridian, we'd better wish each other luck, as we're going to need very advantage that we can get to survive each off our trials that are to come. Hey, listen, we'll be heading to Tython in about two days, so I've gotta go. Give Kes and the others my regards, and may Iluvatar be with you, my friend." Tau said as he prepared to end the Holonet communication with his friend.

 

" _Same here, next time... I'd like to speak with the others, also I will bring on Niwen and Jane, as they have some very good news to tell Celebion._ " Viridian said as he joyfully smiled.

 

Catching on to what Viridian was talking about, Tau whispered, “Is it a boy, or a girl?”

 

“ _Well, Niwen doesn’t want to know until the child’s born, and Jane’s respecting her wishes, but, I have the unfortunate advantage of using the Force, so, between us… It’s a boy._ ” Viridian said, whispering by the end, as he did not want Celebion to find out before Niwen and Jane told him the good news. He then said in farewell, “ _May Iluvatar be with you, Tau._ ” With that, both Jedi shut of their communicators, and Tau took in a deep breath in order to absorb what he had just learned, and in order to figure out just how he would keep the news from Celebion until the next time that Viridian called.

 

Tau’s train of thought was interrupted by Rahm, who jokingly said, “So, you young Jedi are forming relationships, now? Well, at least I can sense that you guys aren’t falling to the Dark Side.” 

 

Tau, playing along with Rahm’s joke, amusingly replied, “Actually, in my time, the Jedi Order allows its Jedi to marry and form families, and it serves the Will of the Force over any galactic government, so I’d say that it’s a step up from your Order. To be fair, we’ve had a few fallen Jedi, but my Order is still fighting the good fight.”

 

“Sounds like your Order has it made, Tau.” Rahm said as he rubbed his eyes in exhaustion over the chaotic day that he and his militia had. He then got serious, and said, “Bail told me about your mission to Mortis. You’ll need all of the help that you can get if you’re going to go to such a locus of Force energy, so count me in.”

 

Tau stood up in appreciation, said, “Thank You, Master Kota.” He then offered his hand to the older Jedi, who gladly accepted the offer, and shook his hand vigorously.

 

Once Tau removed his hand from Rahm’s grip, he said, “Quite a handshake.”

 

“Thank you, Tau.” Rahm graciously said as he decided to inspect the ship that he was travelling for the next few days.

 

A’Sharad, remembering his time as a Jedi Healer on New Holstice, then left in order to assist Jarael in aiding the wounded troopers on the Second Chance, while Ventis left to help Arnine fix any damaged systems that may have sustained damage while in the Horuset System.

 

That left Ahsoka, Tau, and Butch alone, which allowed Ahsoka to gratefully say to Tau, “Thank you for being there for me when we faced Vader, Tau. I doubt that I could have faced him alone.”

 

“Hey, that’s what friends are for, Ahsoka.” Tau said as he lopsidedly smiled at his new friend, before his expression turned serious, and said, “We’d better get some rest, because, once we finish the mission to Mortis, we need to prepare for the hunt to begin, because Sidious will be sending everything that he has to put us down before we’re ready to take over his Empire.”

 

“Yeah. As if our jobs weren’t hard enough as it is.” Ahsoka sarcastically said before she yawned, rose from her seat, headed to a bunk to get some much-needed sleep, and said, “Good night, Tau.”

 

As Ahsoka walked away, Tau looked at the sway of her hips as she walked before he shook himself out of his hormone-induced thoughts, mentally rebuking himself by thinking, _Get ahold of yourself, Tau! Ahsoka has no interest in me, and we have a job to do. There will be time for finding yourself a girlfriend after we’ve overthrown your demented ancestor._

What he didn’t know, however, was that Ahsoka as going through a similar internal struggle as well, and remembered the last two boys that she developed feelings for, and how badly those relationships turned out during the Clone War.

 

_Forty Hours Later_

_Above the Planet Caamas_

The small but deadly rebel fleet was regrouping after their successful mission on and above Korriban, which dealt a significant blow to the Empire, but also revealed Tau’s origins to the Sith before his plans could come to full fruition. The leaders of these three rebel cells were busy with recovering their men from either shuttles that ferried them to safety, or the _Second Chance_.

 

Tau was also busy with communicating with Berch Teller, who had been told of Tau’s lineage through Saw Gerrera, and was especially displeased that he had not been told of this important piece of information regarding their ally.

 

“Berch, I understand your mistrust of me, which I completely get, but I must ask for your continued patience, as my allies and I will answer all of your questions once we meet on Lah’mu in forty-eight days.”

 

“ _Well, since you asked so nicely, and since you helped us deal a good blow against Tarkin, I guess I can give you the benefit of the doubt. But, you pull one wrong move, Palaptine, and my cell and I will pull out of this Shadow Alliance of yours._ ” Berch said with a hint of foreboding of what might come in the next two months.

 

“Very well. I hope that we can win you over, as we’ll need your expertise and good judgment in the battles to come. Oh, before I forget, don’t trust Vice Admiral Dodd Rancit, as he’s just using you to advance his standing in the Empire.” Tau said as he recalled Berch’s informant within Imperial High Command.

 

“ _Oh, don’t worry, Palpatine. I’m keeping Rancit at arms length, as I’m counting on a betrayal at some point._ ” Berch smugly said as he ended the transmission, leaving Tau alone with his thoughts.

 

At that moment, Arnine rolled into the ship’s cockpit, and said to Tau in Droidspeak that the _Second Chance_ ’s food stores had been replenished after the extra guests on the ship severely depleted their reserves.

 

“So we’re fully stocked again? Good. We’ll need every ration for when we enter Mortis, as there’s no telling how long our ship will be in the monolith.” Tau said in relief as he got up from his copilot’s seat, and walked to the main hall, where he saw Rahm finishing up a conversation with Bail, who nodded at the Jedi Master before ending the communication. 

 

After Rahm stood up, he walked over to Tau, and said, “So, Ahsoka tells me that you’re a clone of the original descendent of Palpatine.”

 

“Yes. I am. But, to be more precise, I am an Iteration of Edaan Palpatine, which is basically a clone, but one with all of Edaan’s memories and personality, and engineered by the One Sith in order to infiltrate the Jedi Order of my time in Edaan’s place.” Tau explained to Rahm, which made him raise an eyebrow in suspicion of his new ally.

 

“So, you basically just admitted to being cloned in order to betray the Jedi Order of your time to one of the old Order’s most militant members. I don’t know whether to be impressed with your bravery, or angry at your blatant honesty of a secret that could get you killed.” Rahm replied.

 

“I know you won’t General, because I’m going to help you guys take down Sidious and Vader, all the while building an army that can save the galaxy. And, it will include a lot of Clone Troopers.” Tau said, which shocked Rahm, as he vividly remembered how he never trusted the Clone Troopers, even before they massacred most of the Jedi Order under Sidious’s orders, even if they were forced to do it by a control chip as Ahsoka claimed.

 

“Why in the Nine Corellian Hells would you want to recruit the Clone Troopers?!? Never mind their programming and origins, they hate the Jedi after the lies that Sidious and his cronies put into their heads, and they’d never take orders from a Jedi ever again.” Rahm shouted before he slightly calmed down, and he continued to speak in a more controlled tone.

 

“Ah, but not every clone followed Order Sixty-Six, General.” Tau countered, which further baffled the Jedi Master. Seeing a chance to make his point known, he continued, saying, “A few Clone Commandos, ARC Troopers, Clone Commanders, and even a few regular Clone Troopers defied Order Sixty-Six when the order came down, and most of them had deserted the Republic/Empire after they saved the lives of a few Jedi. Oh, and the entire 777thClone Legion deserted the Empire right after its formation in disgust with Order Sixty-Six. If you ask me, they don’t deserve your hatred, and deserve to fight alongside you as equals.”

 

Astounded that such a large number of Clone Troopers could defy their programming and save the lives of their commanding officer, Kota then realized an important question that he needed answered, and asked, “How could they resist the Order if they had control chips placed in their brains?”

 

“Well, Master Kota, my best guess is that the commandos and ARC Troopers never had the chips placed in their brains, or were able to resist the command due to their greater amount of independent thought, while the regular Clone Troopers either never got the Order, or they removed their chips after Fives was murdered by that _di’kut_ of a commander, Fox, on Sidious’s orders.” Tau said as he spat out a Mandalorian insult at the deceased Clone Commander, who Tau was grateful that he killed in order to avenge Fives’s wrongful death, as well as his attempt to kill Ahsoka when she was framed for murder.

 

Catching the hatred that Tau held for the late commander of the Coruscant Honor Guard, Rahm did not press the issue, and instead said, “Well, if these clones were able to think for themselves, and save the lives of their Jedi leaders, then they deserve the benefit of the doubt on my part.”

 

“That’s good, General, because I know one clone that would be happy to see you, as his genetic source trained under you during his time as your Padawan.” Tau said, grateful that Rahm was able to look past his prejudices for the bigger picture.

 

As Rahm immediately realized just whom it was that Tau was talking about, the pieces clicked in his brain, and he immediately snarled, “Those karking Kaminoans! I can’t believe that they’d take a genetic sample from Falon while he was wounded! Oh, I hope that they suffer at the hands of the Empire.”

 

“Well, you won’t have to worry about them, Rahm because they’ll slide into economic depression when we’re done with them.” Tau said, empathizing with Rahm’s disgust of the Kaminoans and their amorality.

 

“Good.” Rahm simply said as he walked away, and as the Second Chance made the jump into hyperspace in order to begin its three-day journey to the Tython System, where the Mortis Monolith would be located.

 

_One Day Later_

_On Coruscant/Imperial Center_

_In the Imperial Palace_

Darth Sidious was especially displeased at his two most effective servants, as they had failed in their objectives to eliminate three Rebel cells and capture the five Jedi that dared to show themselves on such a sacred world to the Sith, and lost the _Exactor_ to Jedi sabotage.

 

He only hoped that the intelligence that his apprentice had promised him was worthwhile, or he would be punished severely for his failures, while Grand Moff Tarkin would meet a premature retirement for his incompetence.

 

As he considered how he would punish his servants for their bungling of a massive failure, he felt the presences of Tarkin and Vader approach, and he pressed a panel on his throne, allowing them in to face up to their catastrophes. Once the two men came close enough to the Emperor, they kneeled at the base of the stairs that led to his throne, and the Dark Lord of the Sith menacingly said, “I trust that the intelligence that you provided for me was worth the loss of so many personnel.”

 

“Indeed, it is, my master.” Vader said as he pulled out the Sith holocron that he stole from A’Sharad Hett, which piqued Sidious’s interest considerably.

 

Sidious then looked at Tarkin, and said, “Grand Moff Tarkin, please leave us for the time being.  I will summon you when Lord Vader has concluded his debriefing.”

 

Confused as to what the Emperor could be up to, but wishing to survive this encounter, he rose to his feet and said, “By your will, my emperor.” He then brusquely walked out of the throne room, leaving the two Sith Lords alone to probe the secrets of this latest acquisition to their great repository of Sith knowledge.

 

Tapping into the power of the Dark Side, Sidious quickly activated the holocron, and the projection of XoXaan came into view, humbly saying, “ _Darth Sidious, it is an honor to serve the reigning Dark Lord of the Sith, and the one who eradicated the Jedi Order. But, your work is not yet complete, as there is a new Jedi that is the greatest threat to your reign, one which could undo all that you have in store for the galaxy._ ”

 

Darth Sidious’s attention was fully ensnared in what the avatar of the Sith Lady, and said, “Who dares to stand against us?”

 

“ _A powerful Jedi from the distant future. More specifically, your descendant, Tau Palpatine._ ” XoXaan simply said, which, for the first time in many years, stunned the galactic emperor into silence.

 

Once Sidious regained his voice, he commanded of the holocron, “Tell me everything that you know of this ‘Tau Palpatine’.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, that’s a wrap on the ninth full chapter of my story. So, what do you guys think of it? I hope that you are enjoying the “Canon” elements that I am throwing in there, as I think that I can make them work into Squasher’s saga. Oh, and, before anyone asks, yes, Ahsoka and Tau have stirrings for each other, but, do not worry, this story will not go above the “T” rating, as I want to keep this story clean. How this plotline could go is anyone’s guess. Anyway, Viridian and his friends won’t appear too often in this story, as he has his own mission to help save Amber’s soul on Remnant. But, now Sidious is aware of the existence of another Palpatine, which is, to put it bluntly, bad. What will he and Tau do now that the secert’s out? And, how will Sidious take the news of how he travels with a Yuuzhan Vong and several powerful Jedi? Tune in next time for another exciting chapter of Star Wars: Shadow Wars: Foundation. May the Force and Iluvatear be with you all on January 19, 2018, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone! How are you all doing on the night of January 20, 2018? I’m tired, as I worked almost six hours at my movie theater today, and then went to Chili’s for dinner, which was spicy and very delicious, which is how I like it. Oh, and I got Injustice 2 #18, which is an excellent addition to my Injustice collection. So, when we last left the heroes, they had begun their three-day journey through hyperspace to the Tython System, where they will deal with High Inquisitors Jerec and Antinnis Tremayne, as well as Emperor’s Hand Arden Lyn, who have, by now, no doubt reached the Mortis Monolith, and are hunting for the one weapon that can kill Abeloth if she is ever released from her prison. Here’s a hint of the next arc of my story: one of the villains will not be the same after their time on Mortis, while the others will remain the same. Just try and guess just who I’m referring to. You’ll never guess. Oh, and, to make matters worse, Sidious and Vader now know who their greatest adversary is, and they are not happy. This will be expanded upon in this chapter, as the heroes have a ways to go before they reach the Tython System, which will give him a chance to spin this into a falsified explanation to gain further support from their highest-ranking servants, such as the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which will meet in this chapter, so be prepared for some evil intrigue. Well, I’ve taken up enough of your time with my blabbing. Just one last thing to say: Can you guys believe that, in a measly fifteen days, I have written over forty thousand words in this story? I don’t know about you, but this makes me so proud, as I am really making good progress in this story, and it’s only just begun. May the Force and Iluvatar be with our heroes as the Sith prepare for a Shadow War.

_One Hour Later_

For the first time since met his master, Darth Plagueis, Darth Sidious was afraid of the future, as he had finished learning a great deal about the one Jedi who could be the greatest threat to the Sith’s Grand Plan, his own great-great-grandson from seventy years in the future, Tau Palpatine, who was cloned from Edaan Palpatine, a Jedi Master of a resurrected Jedi Order. Edaan, on his own, managed to create a Shadow Alliance from so many different governments and organizations, and destroyed his time’s Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Krayt, who was known in this time as A’Sharad Hett.

 

He was so horrified from this series of revelations that it took his apprentice’s digitized voice to snap him out of his trance, as Vader gravely said, “There is more, my master.” 

 

Not knowing what else could be wrong with a Jedi Knight that knew all of Sidious’s plans, he whispered, “What could be wrong now?”

 

“Tau Palpatine travels in the company of a Yuuzhan Vong.” Vader said in equal seriousness, as he now knew one of the main motivations for his master building such a massive army and navy. Seeing that his master’s attention was focused again, he then continued, saying, “A female who had flying insects that were able to cut through my armor with ease. And, there is one more thing that we should be aware of: he has a Tuk’ata hound serving him as a companion and comrade.”

 

Sidious’s mind was reeling from these implications, as, despite knowing that the Yuuzhan Vong had already been creating small footholds in their galaxy in preparation for a full-scale invasion, and knowing that there had been sightings in the Unknown Regions, including the largest one that had dispersed two years ago, before Commander Libel and several other Imperial officers deserted their posts, he did not foresee that one of them would travel in the company of a Jedi, as his scant reports indicated that they had no knowledge of the Force whatsoever. He especially didn’t foresee that Tau, or Edaan, managed to tame a Tuk’ata hound with the Light Side of the Force, which made Tau all the more dangerous, as he obviously knew a great deal about the Sith, which made his capture all the more paramount.

 

The gears in his mind working a parsec a minute, the beginnings of a plan began to form inside Sidious’s twisted mind, and he said with as much steel as he could muster at this precarious time, “Summon the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Ruling Council for an emergency meeting at the Jedi Temple. Install every security measure that we have in the Temple. Have them convene in two hours. If anyone is late, we will proceed without them, and they will not be allowed entrance until the meeting is over. Tell them, we… we must prepare for a war unlike any other, and accelerate all of our plans. . And don’t change your armor. We’ll need it to emphasize the magnitude of the threat that we face.”

 

Understanding his master’s intentions, Vader loyally said, “As you wish, my master.” He then walked away, leaving a beleaguered Sidious alone to contemplate exactly what he would say to his highest-ranking servants.

 

Before he could consider what he would say for long, the Dark Side of the Force granted him a vision of the past of treachery, which set his blood aflame, and gave him a better idea of what he would say when he spoke to his best servants.

 

_Two Hours Later_

_In the Jedi Temple_

_In the War Room_

“Do you have any idea what this meeting is about, Wilhuff, as my contacts within the Imperial Palace had no chance to tell me anything at all?” asked Wullf Yularen, a colonel and high-ranking member of the Imperial Security Bureau, asked Tarkin, as all of the assembled members of Imperial High Command and Imperial Ruling Council quietly conversed among themselves as they awaited the arrival of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader.

 

“What makes you think that I know anything of this impromptu meeting, Wullf?” Wilhuff evasively asked as his mind asked a similar question.

 

“Well, for starters, this meeting is occurring after the loss of the _Executrix_ , the escape of several Jedi, including Rahm Kota and A’Sharad Hett, and former Padawan Ahsoka Tano. And, my agents onboard your ship told me that you and your ship was located in the Horuset System, which is far from most civilization, which piques my already-heightened curiosity.” Wullf calmly replied to his compatriot’s feeble attempt at a diversion.

 

“I have a feeling that all of our questions will be answered soon enough, you two, as our ruler has arrived.” Sarcev Quest, a former Jedi Padawan that left the Jedi Order before it fell, and one of the Emperor’s personal agents that were only below Vader in importance, said, just as the red-robed Emperor’s Royal Guard began to turn in deference to their leader, who slowly appeared from a secret passageway into his throne above the rest of the gathered leaders, followed by Darth Vader, who each kneeled in respect for the man who ended both the Clone War and the Jedi Order’s treachery. What few people noticed, however, was the multi-limbed medical droid, 11-4D, slowly walking to the Emperor’s left side, across from Vader on Palpatine’s right side of his throne.

 

After he motioned for everyone to stand, he solemnly said, “My fellow Imperials, our empire has endured many threats over the past four years, both within, and without, including disloyal subjects, surviving Separatists and Jedi, and internal threats. However, a new threat has arisen that could undo the peace that we are creating.” 

 

Among the Emperor speaking, Wullf could not help but suspect that his longtime friend and advisor was afraid of something, or someone, and listened with apt attention as he continued to speak.

 

“During a mission to apprehend four Jedi on the deserted planet of Korriban, the _Executrix_ was destroyed by the former Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano and another Jedi Knight by the name of Tau Palpatine, who is… my descendant from seventy years in the future.”

 

As soon as Palpatine ended his last sentence, the room erupted in a fire of questions from just about everyone present, aside from Wullf, who’s mind was in a frenzy over what he just heard, and realized that, if the Jedi had returned within the next seventy years, then the Empire fell, and discord and disunity returned to the galaxy, leaving it vulnerable to the threats of both the present and future.

 

After a minute of allowing the disorderly speaking between the Imperials, Palpatine motioned with this hand for everyone to quiet down, and, in the span of two minutes, the room slowly calmed down, as if a force was silently compelling them to be calm.

 

“Thank you. I understand your doubts, as I myself could not believe them at first. But, due to incontrovertible evidence that was brought to me by Lord Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin, I cannot deny the truth that Tau is indeed my great-great-grandson, and is a member of a reconstituted Jedi Order, which is even more malevolent than its predecessor.” Palpatine resumed. As he mentioned Vader and Tarkin, Wullf could not help but notice the Grand Moff tense up at something that he could not pick up on, and made a mental note to follow up on this thread, as he felt that it was worth investigating for the security of the Empire.

 

“My descendant is one of the resurrected Order’s greatest warriors and tacticians, and defeated the last of my loyal servants’ attempts to bring order to the galaxy. He even managed to wound Lord Vader, which is why you see him as he looks today. But, worst of all is the Jedi’s collaboration with a vile group of extra-galactic aliens known as the Yuuzhan Vong, who have made it their life’s mission to conquer and remake the galaxy in their own twisted, pain-worshipping, technology-hating, and genocide-loving hands.” Palpatine continued before the hand of the Director of Imperial Intelligence, Armand Isard, rose, which the Emperor recognized with a gesture.

 

“Forgive me for doubting you, Emperor, but why would the Jedi ally themselves with a species that is set on eradicating or enslaving anything that stands in their way, as they wanted to control the galaxy, not destroy it?” Armand said in respectful doubt of what he had just heard, which shocked Yularen, as no one else was daring to question the Emperor’ claims, as they were absurd beyond belief. While he considered the Jedi to be arrogant and superior-minded, he would never suspect them of being allies with extragalactic invaders.

 

“I cannot fully understand it myself, Armand.” Palpatine sympathetically said as he shook his head at the Jedi’s madness. “The best information that the source could provide is that the surviving Jedi, in their desperation to return to power, made a deal with a demon, and unknowingly set the stage for their takeover of the galaxy.” He then activated the holoprojector in the Temple’s war room, and the images of several Yuuzhan Vong warriors, as well as many of their organically-grown ships in an unknown military formation. “These are the known ships of the Yuuzhan Vong that have appeared in the galaxy, and these are only a scouting force. The real invasion force will appear in our galaxy within the next four decades, which is why I’ve been building up the Imperial Navy and Army in preparation of this threat, as only military might will win this coming war and protect the ones that we love. But first…” Palpatine said before his voice took on a sharper edge, which was directed in Tarkin’s direction, which made the Grand Moff begin to shake in his seat at what he perceived to be his immediate execution. What he then said next shocked everyone present, “we have to remove a traitor within our ranks.”

 

As the Royal Guard near Tarkin began to approach the people present to him, Dodd Rancit, the Director of Naval Intelligence, shouted, “I WILL NOT BE TAKEN!!!”, and fired a blaster at a Royal Guard, which caught the guard in the head, and killed him instantly, before the traitorous vice admiral was subdued by Tarkin, who had a face of pure rage on his face at his supposed friend’s treachery, and nearly strangled him before he composed himself.

 

The first Grand Moff then tensely said to Dodd, “Why would you betray the Empire to the Jedi and their conspirators, Rancit?”

 

“He did not betray the Empire in that way, Grand Moff Tarkin. He instead conspired with an old friend of yours, Berch Teller, to engineer your death or disgrace so that he could ascend to your positon of Grand Moff, or, at the very least, Moff, due to his jealousy over your rise to power. Berch’s alliance with the Jedi was merely an unfortunate side effect of Rancit’s treachery.” Palpatine explained to Tarkin, who nearly snapped off the traitor’s head in his bloodlust before being held back by Vader’s command of the Force. 

 

“Do not worry, my friend. Rancit will soon get what is coming to him, once he reveals what he disclosed to Berch Teller. Once this meeting is adjourned, however, summon Admiral Tenant for his promotion to the disgraced Vice Admiral’s position.” Palpatine forebodingly said, which pleased the members of the meeting. With that said two Royal Guards dragged away the former vice admiral as he cursed at Tarkin and Palpatine with as many expletives as he could come up with before the doors closed around the three of them as he was escorted to a maximum security cell in the Temple.

 

“Now then, we must marshal all of our available forces, and have them sent to the Tython System at once, as that is where Tau Palpatine, Ahsoka Tano, A’Sharad Hett, Rahm Kota, and the rest of his fellow traitors will be in within the next two days, as they will be attempting to acquire an ancient Jedi weapon on their original world that can level entire cities, and it must be taken for safekeeping before the Jedi can use it to catastrophic effect against us. I already have High Inquisitors Tremayne, Jerec, and Hand Arden Lyn on the _Vengeance_ , but they will not be enough to stop them, only slow them down.” Palpatine said, rallying Imperial High Command in their mission, while Wullf began to form a plan on his own in order to learn from the source if the original Palpatine was telling the truth of the Jedi and the Yuuzhan Vong. Once this meeting ended, he vowed to get into contact with his old friend, the now-retired general Jan Dodanna, on his home world of Commenor, on the planet’s moon of Brelor, and travel to Tython in order to send an encrypted transmission to Tau Palpatine and his conspirators so that he could hear their side of the story. He then had another idea in order to determine whether or not these Yuuzhan Vong were as dire a threat as the Emperor claimed, and prepared to contact a recently promoted Chiss Imperial Captain for any information that he could share on these revelations. What no one else noticed were the several listening devices that were transmitting the entire meeting to Viridian Mallory and his friends in the Unknowmn Regions.

 

_Two Days Later_

_In the Tython System_

_Onboard the Star Destroyer_ Vengeance

 

“Captain Ozzel, we’re detecting a ship emerging from hyperspace just outside Ska Gora’s atmosphere.” The sensor officer onboard the personal Star Destroyer of High Inquisitor Jerec said to Captain Kendal Ozzel, the acting commanding officer of the Vengeance while Jerec, High Inquisitor Antinnis Tremayne, and one of the Emperor’s hands, the ancient Dark Jedi Arden Lyn, were within the mysterious monolith that hovered above the Jedi Order’s ancient birthplace.

 

Relieved that the pompous Imperial captain had something to do besides wait around for whatever supposed vital mission the Emperor had sent the Star Destroyer on, Ozzel walked over to the lesser-ranked officer’s console was at, and he said, “What have you got. Ensign?”

 

“It looks like... a CEC YT-1300 freighter.” The ensign said before his face paled in immediate recognition at the ship’s transponder information, who then meekly said, “Sir, that’s the Jedi ship that the Emperor himself warned us about, and sent out a notice to capture immediately upon sighting.”

 

Realizing that this could either result in either a promotion for the highly ambitious officer, or a premature death from Darth Vader and his legendary wrath, Ozzel immediately barked out, “Deploy all fueled V-Wing squadrons to intercept the ship before they can reach the Inquisitors and Hand Lyn.”

 

Reacting with a quickness that Kendal had not before seen from his subordinates, as they too likely recognized that their lives hung in the balance of the success of this mission, as they already allowed the three shuttles of unknown origin slip by their defenses, they relayed the orders to the four squadrons of V-Wings that were ready for immediate flight, and, within ten minutes, the forty-eight ships blazed out from the _Vengeance_ ’s docking bay, and surged to draw the Second Chance towards the Star Destroyer, where it would be captured by the capital ship’s tractor beams.

 

 _Let’s see you outmaneuver the overwhelming might of the Empire without your minions, Tau Palpatine._ Kendal smugly said as he hoped to succeed where Grand Moff Tarkin failed, while the Mortis Monolith began to stir from its slow rotation over Tython, and no one payed attention to it.

 

 _Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

“Can you feel it, guys? The Mortis Monolith is awakening from its slumber. It senses our arrival, and is preparing itself for our arrival.” Tau said with a sense of reverence that he did not normally have, which disturbed Rahm and A’Sharad, while Ahsoka remembered her time in Mortis, and understood Tau’s sense of veneration, while the other members of the _Second Chance_ ’s crew remained as controlled as they could be with the surge of Imperial forces coming their way, as they remembered how he felt when he met Iluvatar and the rest of the Valar.

 

“Tau, the sensors are picking up four dozen Imperial fighters coming our way, so we’ll have plenty of time to take in the Force nexus when we get into the monolith. Not to mention that the entire Imperial High Command is now aware of us, regardless of Sidious’s insane claims.” Rahm scolded the younger Jedi for getting distracted when they still had to get through the Imperial blockade, remembering with vivid clarity the emergency transmission between the Joint Chiefs, Impeiral Ruling Coucnil, and Sidious, which was able to be recorded through several of the listening devices that Viridian and his friends placed throughout the fallen Jedi Temple during their infiltration of it several minths ago.

 

Snapping himself back to reality, Tau said, “Right. Sorry, Master Kota. I have a plan. We’re going to do _Similfuturus_ on the _Second Chance_. That way, we’ll have a better chance of getting through the blockade.” Tau said, referring to the Force power regarding the Dopplegänger ability to create an exact replica of a person or droid. He then continued, saying, “Between the five of us, we should be able to come up with at least four other duplicates of the ship, which will divide the Imperials’ focus, and giving us a brief window of opportunity to enter the monolith without opposition.” 

 

“That… just might work.” A’Sharad said as he contemplated the idea from one of the chairs for the light turbolaser turrets.

 

“Well, we’d better do it quickly, because those fighters will be in range within the next six minutes.” Akuu urgently said from his copilot’s seat within the Second Chance’s cockpit. 

 

“Then let’s get to work, as we’re only going to get one opportunity to get the Dagger out of the Sith’s clutches.” Ahsoka said as she prepared to enter a Force trance in order to coordinate the plan.

 

_Six Minutes Later_

_Onboard the_ Vengeance

 

“Sir! I’m getting conflicting reports from the fighters.” The communications officer said to Ozzel, who looked at him in confusion before he continued, saying, “They’re claiming that there are now five identical ships flying alongside the _Second Chance_ , and seven of our pilots have just ejected from their fighters, while another three have been shot down.”

 

With the baffling knowledge that twenty-five percent of his ship’s fighter complement taken out of the fight, Ozzel began to sweat through his uniform, and said to the bridge’s gunnery officer, “What?!? How did…” He then remembered a Jedi Mind Trick that he read about that they used during the Stark Hyperspace War, and authoritatively said, “It’s one of the Jedi’s tricks! Activate the ship’s ion cannons, and target each ship, even if they go through it. If it goes through a ship, log it as destroyed, and move on to the next ship.”

 

“Yes sir.” The gunnery officer said as he began to issue orders to the Star Destroyer’s ion cannon gunners, and they began to power up their weapons.

 

 _Let’s see you escape this, you Jedi traitors._ Kendal viciously said after his ion cannons began to target each ship, striking one of the false ships through a stroke of sheer luck, and causing it to vanish into thin air.

 

_Ten Minutes Later_

 

The three remaining versions of the Second Chance, which included the original Second Chance, were nearing the Mortis Monolith, but the still had to outmaneuver the _Vengeance_ and its twenty-three surviving V-Wing fighters.

 

As the _Second Chance_ approached the Vengeance, and prepared to fire a series of concussion missiles onto its bridge in order to distract the Imperials, the Mortis Monolith’s rim began to open, and an immensely bright light began to be emitted from its core, which blinded the officers of the _Vengeance_ , as well as the surviving pilots of the Star Destroyer, and the pilots of the Second Chance. Seeing an opportunity to escape the Imperials, Tau shouted to his astromech droid, “Arnine, PUNCH IT!!!” He immediately felt the ship accelerate exponentially, and delved deeper into the white light, which was soon replaced by a pitch-black sky that was wracked with lightning, and nearly caught the _Second Chance_ in one of the lightning bolts.

 

“WOAH!!! We’d better land somewhere soon, because those lightning bolts are very powerful,and they can create a crater upon impact!” Ahsoka said as the memories of this place came rushing back to the front of her mind.

 

“Agreed.” Akuu said in complete concurrence as he spotted a large cave nearby, and said, “There’s a cave that looks big enough to house the ship. I’m taking us in, as we can’t afford to get hit by a single lightning bolt.”  The Second Chance quickly made its way into the deep cavern.

 

Once the ship landed, Tau called his crew members into the hall, and said, “All right. Here’s the plan. Nagme, you’ll come with me and A’Sharad, Ventis, Rahm, and Ahsoka once day comes, while the rest of you stay on the ship and get it ready in case we have to make a quick getaway.”

 

“Hold on, Tau. I can understand why you and the rest of the Jedi need to go alone, as you’ll be the best equipped to deal with the terrain, but why are you bringing Nagme along to a Force-dominated planet?” Jarael said to her friend and leader.

 

“Because she’ll give us an advantage once we face the Inquisitors and Arden Lyn, as her gear and skills will give us a surprise over the Dark Jedi, which will give us a better chance of taking them out before Sidious and Vader come here with the entire Imperial Armada.” Tau explained, which mollified Jarael’s concerns, as she could see the benefits of bringing along the ex-Yuuzhan Vong Shaper, and nodded in approval of her friend’s tactical thinking.

 

“Well, if there’s nothing else, we’ll gather enough rations to last between the six of us for about… three days, and head outside to camp out until day breaks. May Iluvatar and the Force be with us, because we’ll need his blessing in order to survive this planet.” Tau grimly said as he got up from his seat, with his fellow Force-Sensitives and Yuuzhan Vong friend following him to stock up on the supplies that would be needed in order to traverse Mortis’s treacherous terrain. He only hoped that his ancestor’s servants did not get their hands on the Dagger of Mortis, or there would be no way to stop Abeloth if she was ever freed from her prison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends a chapter of intrigue, action, and future plans from both our heroes, enemies, and those that currently exist in-between. Now for explanations. I had Wullf Yularen be the lone but silent voice of dissent among the gathered members of Imperial High Command because I view him as the most honorable and noble heroes of the Empire’s elite, as, like Thrawn, he just wants to do what he thinks is best to protect the sentients of the galaxy from all threats. That is why he plans to hear Tau and his friends’ side of the story in order to see if Sidious is telling the truth, as he is a reasonable man, unlike the rest of his fellow leaders. Next, I imagine that Sidious’s explanation had many holes in it, to put it lightly, but I had him exert a subtle pull of the Force in order for his servants, minus Dodd Rancit and Yularen, the former of which you won’t see, unless I have him killed via an execution squad. I even had Armand Isard partially under his command, as he is a rather ruthless man, and willing to do anything to preserve the Empire, which makes him willing to do whatever he takes to help Sidious, even if he has doubts about some of Sidious’s claims. But, let it be made clear that he will never ally with the Jedi, as he will always view them as traitors to Sidious’s regime. As for Kendal Ozzel, I think that I will kill him in a manner similar to how Vader killed him in Episode V due to his massive failures, but I’m not completely sold on it yet. Oh, and, as for the mysterious shuttles, they’ll be adversaries for our heroes, but I’m not going to say who they are yet, which will keep you all on your toes. So, for the next chapter, our heroes will face their past ghosts, and meet many familiar faces in the EU and “new” canon. Just guess who their visitors will be, I dare you. Well, I guess that that’s it for this chapter. May the Force and Iluvatar be with us all on January 21, 2018, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	12. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, Star Wars fans. How go your days on January 22, 2018? Mine is going well, as I did some homework before starting this chapter, and went to Costco with my mother, where I had a slice of cheese pizza topped with crushed red pepper, and drank a chocolate frozen yogurt, both were quite delicious. Anyway, I want to let you guys know that this chapter will feature no action, but will instead have the Jedi meet with deceased people that are close to them, and delve into the depths of their souls. Well, soul searching doesn’t occur within a story without words, so I’d better get started. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me, as I will need it in order to capture these characters accurately.

_Meanhwhile_

_In the Well of the Dark Side_

 

“Do you feel that, Jerec?” Antinnis Tremayne, a former Jedi Padawan who became the first High Inquisitor among the Galactic Empire’s Inquisitorious, said to his Miraluka counterpart, Jerec, a former Jedi Master who followed a similar path to the Dark Side through a lust for survival and power, who nodded in confirmation at the influx of Light Side energy suddenly appearing east of their direction.

 

“Indeed, Treymayne. I can sense the signatures of our wayward Inquisitor, Gallies, along with Master Kota, Hett, the cowardly ex-Padawan of Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and another Jedi who’s power could rival that of Lord Vader, which puts us in a predicament, as our Hand has disappeared somewhere within the Son’s lair.” Jerec said in concurrence.

 

“Let me tell you, that woman has a lot of bolts loose in her brain, if you know what I mean. She may be talented, but I still don’t see what Torbin and our Emperor saw in her that was worth keeping alive, as she’s dangerously unstable from over twenty-four thousand years in stasis.” The human Inquisitor continued, before he saw the woman in question, who was Arden Lyn, the last surviving member of the Legions of Lettow, who were the Dark Jedi who began the First Great Jedi Schism, which caused untold devastation across the nascent Republic before they were defeated on Columus, and hunted down across the galaxy before Lyn was discovered approximately one year ago, and was recruited as the latest in a growing number of Emperor’s Hands, the personal assassins of Emperor Palpatine that were considered his left-hands, second only to Darth Vader in the Empire’s command structure.

 

“Well, it’s about time that you got back from wherever you were within this hellhole, Lyn.” Jerec said before he sensed a brokenness in the ancient woman, and asked in concern for the sake of the mission’s success, and his survival in order to one day usurp control of the Empire from Sidious, “What happened to you while you were in there?”

 

“None of your business, Jerec.” Arden bit out with much more venom in her voice than usual, which surprised Jerec, as he could sense a great deal of conflict within the master of Teräs Käsi, but, knowing that there would be time and place for finding out Arden’s secrets, and this was neither the time or place for learning the truth, dropped the matter with a shrug of his shoulders.

 

Trying to get back to the matter at hand, Tremayne authoritatively said, “Enough! This bickering is pointless while we’re on a timetable, and now we have five Jedi to contend with, not to mention those mad Knights of Olpaka that sneaked through Ozzel’s blockade of Tython.” He rmembered the blaster scar that a Verpine shatter rifle left on his right cheek, which was patched up with a bacta patch, before he ripped the young female Knight’s mind apart in order to learn all that he could about this new enemy, and his knowledge would greatly benefit the Emperor once they retreived the Dagger of Mortis and killed all of their adversaries, including one of the Knights’ highest-ranking generals, Vlad Karamazov III. _That should earn me a fat promotion to Grand Inquisitor since no one’s occupied it since that assassin droid killed that idiot,_ _Torbin._ Antinnis smugly thought as he and the rest of his Dark Jedi went onto their speeders in order to continue their search for the Dagger of Mortis.

 

What neither Jerec or Tremayne noticed, however, was Arden’s silent vow to implement a plan of her own once she helped find the Jedi, as her encounter with a Force Ghost within the Son’s residence broke and rebuilt her wounded heart into a tool for vengeance against the ones who betrayed her.

 

_Six Housr Later_

_On the Plains of Mortis_

 

Rahm Kota was keeping the first watch over his companions when he felt a presence that he had not felt in over four years, and he quickly activated his lightsaber in order to defend his comrades if his senses were being deceived, only to find the specter of the Jedi Master who brought peace to his home world, and inducted him into the Jedi Order despite him being eighteen years old at the time: Mace Windu, the sole Jedi Master who could defeat Darth Sidious in single combat, and the second most powerful Jedi in the entire Jedi Order before its destruction by Vader and Sidious, only surpassed by Master Yoda. 

 

“Master Windu.” Rahm said in respect for a man that he considered to be a friend, who then nodded to him in acknowledgement of being spoken to.

 

“ _Rahm. It’s been so long. I’m glad to see that you are still alive, and continuing to fight for the Jedi, even after its destruction from betrayal._ ” Windu said as a ghost of a smile formed on his face.

 

His expression then turned serious, and the Korun Jedi Master then said, “ _What concerns me, however, is the list of people that you are allying yourself with, as they are each tainted by the Dark Side in one way or another, and are not to be trusted._ ”

 

Not believing what his old friend had said to him, Rahm, in defense of his choices, angrily said to Mace, “This is why you have come from beyond death, Mace, to scold me over doing what must be done to stop all the forces of darkness from taking over the galaxy? I see that death hasn’t tempered your paranoia. No wonder Ahsoka left the Order after you all left her to die at Tarkin’s hands.”

 

“ _Don’t talk to me of paranoia, Rahm. The clones, who you rightly distrusted, betrayed the Order and helped destroy the Republic, allowing Sidious and Vader to take control of the entire galaxy. They all deserve to perish and be forgotten from the records of history. And Ahsoka was weak for leaving the Order, as we gave her everything that she could ever want, and she threw it all away on a childish whim just like her master._ ” Mace angrily said to his friend, which further enflamed the kindled rage within the surviving Jedi Master.

 

“The clones didn’t have a choice in the matter since you bought the drivel that Sidious and Mas Amedda told you, and didn’t even investigate the control chips that those money-grubbing Kaminoans implanted into them. And, you were the one who allowed Ahsoka to face the Senate, which was plagued by graft and corruption on every level, without any Jedi support. You and Master Yoda taught me to never abandon a Jedi in need, or to take the easy way out, and that was precisely what the Council did, which is the real reason why Tano left the Order. We’re just lucky that she didn’t fall to the Dark Side after her departure, or we would be in even worse straights than we’re in right now.” Rahm retorted, realizing that his death at Sidious’s hands had only hardened the already grizzled Jedi Master even further, if such a thing was possible.

 

“ _What about Tau Palpatine and A’Sharad Hett, Rahm? Both Jedi have been touched the Dark Side before, and they could either succumb or return to its control again, and spell doom for your ‘Shadow Alliance’ before it truly begins, allowing the Sith total control of the galaxy for all of time._ ” Mace argued, not willing to give up his position just yet.

 

“So far, Tau has displayed a great deal of selflessness and loyalty to the Light Side of the Force, as well as his friends and allies. And, he’s not like his ancestor, as he just wants to protect the galaxy from the incoming threats that the Republic would have never been prepared for.” Kota said in defense of a man who he realized that he trusted far more than he thought. He then continued, saying, “As for Hett, I’m keeping a close eye on him, but he feels terrible remorse for what he’s done, and desires to make amends for his sins. So, as the Jedi of old would do, I’m willing to give him a second chance.”

 

Mace sighed in defeat, realizing that nothing he could say would change his old friend’s mind against allying himself with such dangerous individuals, solemnly said, “ _Then may the Force be with you, Rahm Kota, for I cannot protect you from the trials that you will all face. But, heed my warning: Ventis Uriel is not who he claims to be, and is an enemy of the Jedi Order._ ” Leaving Rahm in confusion with his warning, he began to fade away, leaving a bewildered Rahm along to contemplate what had just been said, when he felt Ahsoka begin to stir, and he sat down to await her.

 

After a minute of waiting, she groggily awoke, and saw Rahm sitting on a rock, which left her confused, as she felt a great anger within him, which concerned her, as she had not felt his angry this strongly before. “Master Kota, what is it? Are we under attack?”

 

“No, Ahsoka.” Rahm sadly said, before he decided to be honest with his fellow rebel, and said, “I just had a run-in with Master Windu, and, to put it lightly, he wasn’t too pleased with who I allied myself with.”

 

To say that she was dumbfounded at the news was an understatement, and, before she could react, she heard a strong but gentle voice speak to her, which said, “ _Ahsoka._ ”

 

Not wanting to believe what she was hearing, as she had not heard his voice in over four years, she slowly turned her head to see the Jedi Master who had brought her into the Jedi Order, and had been her trusted friend and confidant until she left the Order, the Kel Dor Plo Koon.

 

Hesitatingly speaking in a whisper of a voice, with Rahm silently watching with piqued interest at this turn of events, she said, “M-master Plo?”

 

“Koh-To-Ya _,_ _Ahsoka. I am so glad to see that you are still alive after all that you have been through._ ” Plo warmly said to his old friend as tears began to build up in her eyelids upon seeing her mentor after four long years of heartbreak and loss.

 

“How are you here? Why have you come here?” Ahsoka said as she stood up from her sitting position.

 

“ _I was drawn here by the monolith’s connection to the Force, as well as the bond that we shared before I betrayed your trust, along with one other._ ” Plo solemnly said before he bowed his head in shame of not doing more to defend Ahsoka before then-Lieutenant Governor Tarkin’s persecution of her. 

 

Before Ahsoka could say anything in order to assuage Plo’s guilt, another ghost appeared, which was one that she hoped to never see again: the sorrowful form of the fallen Jedi Knight Barriss Offee, who Ahsoka befriended during the Second Battle of Geonosis, but later bombed the Jedi Temple in an act of terrorism, which set in motion the chain of events that led to Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order in order to start a new chapter of her life.

 

As Ahsoka prepared to activate her lightsabers in defense of herself against her perceived foe, Rahm placed a hand on her shoulder, which confused the former Jedi. Before she could say anything in argument of Kota stopping her from protecting herself, he said, “Don’t worry, Ahsoka. Barriss isn’t going to hurt you. Just listen to what she and Master Koon have to say to you, and then make your decision.”

 

Deciding to put her trust in her friend, she placed her lightsabers back on her belt, took in a deep breath, and, with as much strength that she could muster at seeing her former friend’s ghost before her, scathingly said, “Why are you here, Barriss? Shouldn’t you be rotting in Chaos for your betrayal of all that you held dear and sacred?”

 

“ _Ahoska, you have every right to hate me for what I did to you, but you deserve to know the truth about my treachery._ ” Barriss shamefully said as she looked down at the ground, unable to meet the eyes of who she framed for her crimes. She then continued, saying, “ _The reason that I bombed the Jedi Temple was due to a Geonosian brain worm larvae that had matured inside my head after you killed the original one onboard that medical frigate that we were on. It amplified my doubts and fears about the Clone War, and warped my mind until I committed all of the crimes that made me deserve death._ ”

 

Ahsoka could not believe what she was hearing, and said as much to the specter in front of her as she exclaimed, “Oh, come on! That is a total karking load! You honestly expect me to believe that a brain worm survived the frozen wasteland that I put into the ship, and made you do all of those things?”

 

“ _Ahsoka, she is telling you the truth._ ” Plo said, which astounded Ahsoka at the lack of trust that her oldest friend had given to her.

 

She then groaned out, “Not you too, Master Plo. Olay let’s say that, by some miracle, she did suffer from a Brain Worm’s control? How did the Order discover it, and why did you put her back in the field, even if she was saved from its mental grip?”

 

“ _Thanks to Obi-Wan and Master Yoda. They were the strongest advocates of her survival in order to discover what went wrong with Barriss, if any other young Jedi could fall like she and so many others did, and to avoid repeating the mistakes that we did with you._ ” Plo somberly replied, which further angered Ahsoka due to the hypocrisy that the Council displayed time and time again, especially how the Council no doubt damaged its relationship with the Galactic Senate by protecting Barriss, while it abandoned her to gain a few public points.

 

Not willing to let her anger get the better of her, she gritted out through her teeth, “Go on.”

 

Deciding to let Barriss take the lead, the Mirialan Jedi Knight began to speak again, saying, “ _After the Council took custody of me, they probed my mind with the Force, and discovered the presence of the Brain Worm within me, which resulted in a very extensive surgery in order to extract it from my mind._ ” Barriss then shivered in horror of the pain-filled five days of medical treatment that she received, and resumed speaking, saying, “ _After that, it took me a week of accelerated Jedi Trances in order to get back up to combat-readiness, as well as convince the Chan-Emperor, of the validity of my condition, and they sent me to Felucia with a Padawan, a male Selonian by the name of Zonder, who died about a year after Order Sixty-Six was enacted. I suspect that the Clone Troopers relished the chance to take out a woman who betrayed the Republic twice in their brief lives._ ” She said with great regret piercing her voice as she spoke.

 

Ahsoka, sensing the truth coming from both Jedi, allowed the tears that had formed due to the words that they spoke, and silently fell to her knees, while Rahm put a comforting hand on her shoulder, which the Togruta appreciated, as she needed what precious support he could offer. As she silently wept, she sensed Tau beginning to stir from his slumber, and she struggled, but failed, to restrain in her quiet crying.

 

After a few moments, Tau wearily said, “Ahsoka? Is everything all right?” As soon as his vision fully returned, he saw the spectral forms of Plo Koon and Barriss Offee at once, and immediately recognized them, and numbly said, “Oh. I see that you’re being visited by people that were close to you. I suppose I should have remembered that that happened to Obi-Wan and Anakin during their time on Mortis, while you were visited by an alternate version of yourself.”

 

Not willing to trade any barbs with her friend, she tearfully said, “Go away, all of you. I never should have come back here. It reminds me of all that I’ve lost.”

 

“ _Ahsoka, you must continue on your journey, as the fate of all that is good and noble in the galaxy depends on the fall of the Sith, and the fate of this time’s Shadow Alliance, which could save the galaxy from countless horrors that have yet to reveal themselves._ ” Said a voice that sounded just like Tau, but had an ethereal edge to it.

 

Tau, paling at the sound of the voice that he never thought that he would hear again, and meekly said, “Edaan?” Upon saying his genetic brother’s voice, the spectral image of a man who looked slightly younger than Tau, while in the exact same modified Jedi combat armor that Tau was wearing, which shocked everyone who was living and awake.

 

“ _It’s been a long time, Tau. I see that you took my last words to heart, and have been following the Will of the Force, or should I say, the will of Iluvatar._ ” Edaan warmly said as he smiled at his genetic twin.

 

“How-how can you be here, Edaan? You died seventy years from now, and, last I checked, Jedi can’t travel from the future into the past.” Tau said, baffled beyond belief at the appearance of the person who risked his soul to save, and gave him a chance at life when anyone else would have killed him for safety.

 

“ _Tau, this planet was the home of three Celestials, so it’s a logical that the laws of time and space don’t apply here. And, I wanted to check up on my little brother, but you’re not so little anymore, and all of your friends._ ” Edaan said, a hint of humor leaking into his voice as he spoke. He then looked towards Ahsoka, who he then smugly said, “ _And I wanted to see the girl that’s taken your heart in the same way that Adari took mine._ ”

 

Ahsoka and Tau then looked at Edaan with horrified looks, while Plo, Barriss, and Rahm then began to chuckle at the two’s budding attraction between them, and their embarrassment at their secret revealed.

 

“E-Edaan!! How could- Why would- Why are you even here?!?” Tau embarrassingly said as he barely managed to sputter out a response to his brother’s blatant use to embarrass him.

 

 _“I am here to offer the two of you encouragement and guidance in these dark times, as I can sense the pain that Ahsoka is carrying, and the burden of leadership that you have begun to understand, just as I did during my time as the leader of my Shadow Alliance._ ” Edaan sympathetically said as he sat down on a rock, and said to Ahsoka, “ _Ahsoka, you have been carrying the guilt of failing Anakin for so long, but there is nothing that you could have done to save him, as Sidious had Anakin ensnared in his web of lies by the time that you left the Order. And, you had every right to leave the Jedi Order, as it was wrong to betray your trust just to save political points with a dying Republic. I also know that you plan to redeem Vader, and I wish you the best of luck in your plans, as Tau will be willing to help you every step of the way, just as I was willing to do almost anything in order to save Vestara Khai from her own darkness._ ”

 

“I know, Edaan. I saw all of Tau’s memories, and they showed the two of you and your determination when you set your mind to something.” Ahsoka said as she wiped her bloodshot eyes, and looked at him, and said, “Why do you want me and Tau to get together?”

 

“Because I know the pain and trials that each of you have, and will, go through, and you will need to rely on each other in order to survive what is coming. I already know that a connection exists between you two, and that it will become something more soon enough. Plus, it reminds me of my relationship with Adari, so I think that it’s romantic that history is repeating itself.” Edaan sheepishly replied as he rubbed the back of his head in slight embarrassment.

 

He then adopted a serious expression, and said, “ _Ahsoka, you must let go of your pain, from Barriss’s forced betrayal of you, to the Council’s treatment of you, to Anakin’s fall, and everything other trauma that lingers in your mind and soul. If you do not, then you could end up just like Anakin._ ”

 

“Why would I end up like Anakin?” Ahsoka horrifyingly said, while Rahm and Tau appeared shocked at Edaan’s sudden declaration. “I would never join the Sith, especially after all that they put me and the rest of the galaxy through.”

 

“ _You don’t have to join the Sith in order to be a servant of evil, Ahsoka. You know this. Just look at the Zygerrians. They aren’t Force-users, but they act just like the Sith._ ” Edaan gently countered with pure truth.

 

“ _He is right, Ahsoka. You do not need to bear any of the blame for Anakin’s fall, for that blame lies on the Council’s shoulders, not yours._ ” Plo solemnly said in confirmation.

 

Barriss then said, “ _Ahsoka, I do not care if you do not forgive me, for I deserve your anger. But, the question is if you can forgive yourself for leaving, as it has weighed on your conscience for the last four years._ ”

 

“ _And no matter what, remember to trust in the Force, your heart, and your friends, as they will steer you in the right direction. Remember, we will always be with you._ ” Plo said as the three Force Ghosts began to fade away, leaving Ahsoka and Tau horrified at the prospect of never seeing the people that meant so much to them.

 

Wanting to beg them to stay, but not able to say anything that could convince them to remain in this plane of existence for a little while longer, the two Jedi let silent tears fall to the ground, and the three spirits simultaneously said, “ _May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all in the days to come._ ”  

 

Once they finished speaking, the three specters fully returned to whence they came, leaving three stupefied Jedi alone with their thoughts, while A’Sharad began to stir from his slumber, and to his great surprise, he saw the image of his father, the former Jedi Knight and Tusken warlord Sharad Hett, standing over him, while Tau, Ahsoka, and Rahm, looked on with wonder at yet another meeting between a Force user and someone close to them. A’Sharad then whispered in a barely audible voice, “Father?”

 

While they quietly watched the meeting between father and son, no one noticed Ventis beginning to shiver in his sleep as if he was experiencing a nightmare, which was much worse than anyone could imagine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, that’s a wrap on the latest, and probably least action-filled, chapter of this story of all my previous chapters. So, I can’t believe that I was able to write about four thousand words for this chapter in only one day, which is astounding, and shows you what you can do if you have the whole day off from school and work. So, do you think that I was able to capture the emotions of each of the characters accurately, as that means a lot to me, and I want to do them justice in my story? And, I openly admitted the attraction between Ahsoka and Tau, which I will expand upon in later chapters as their relationship evolves over time, as I think that they will go good together, and deserve some happiness in their lives after all of the pain and loss that they’ve had to endure.. Well, I guess that there’s nothing else to discuss, as my day was pretty typical. I’d better get this chapter forwarded to Squasher so that I can get it published, as I love writing for you guys. Oh, I almost forgot, the next chapter will involve more conversations, as well as a spiritual battle going on between Ventis’s soul, which will reveal some good spoilers about him that have yet to be revealed, if I get Squasher’s permission, of course. Well, that’s it for the day of January 22, 2018. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	13. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, all you Star Wars fans and fanatics! How are you doing on this warm day of January 23, 2018? I’m doing well, as I’ve gotten back from school and just did a little homework, which means that I have a couple of hours to write my latest chapter, which should take at least two days to write, as I won’t have as much free time on my hands as yesterday. Well, I’d better get started, as I’ve got to go back to school in a few hours for a night class, and I do not want to waste such precious time. Oh, before I forget, by the time that I’ve finished writing for today, I’ll have surpassed over 50,000 words, which is a record for me.

As Ventis was in a fitful sleep, he found himself alone in a room where he never expected to return to: The torture chambers where his mind was broken by Darth Tenebrous and his apprentice, Darth Plagueis, and then forged into the notorious Dark Side Adept criminal known as Gallies, who committed countless crimes across the galaxy before he was recruited into the Galactic Empire’s Inquisitorious program, and captured by his son, Daniel Valo, and his mind was healed of its trauma by him and his friends, including his Jedi teacher, Tau Palpatine. 

 

Desperate to avoid recalling all of the horrendous experiments that the two Sith Lords put him through, Ventis struggled in vain to awaken from his slumber, only to hear the voice of one of the two of his tormentors, who gloatingly said, “ _Do you really think that you can escape your past so easily, Ventis Uriel? If you do, then you’re even dumber than when my master and I found you.”_ The phantom of Darth Plagueis, also known by his public personae of Hego Damask II, a high-ranking member of the Intergalactic Banking Clan before his murder at his apprentice’s hands just before his election as the final Chancellor of the Old Republic, appeared in his full Sith garb. 

 

“ _Plagueis._ ” Ventis whispered out in fear as he prepared his frightened defenses for whatever other nightmarish images the Muun Sith Lord would conjure up.

_Meanwhile, In the Force-Imbued Cave on Mortis_

 

“Well, who didn’t see this coming?” Tau sarcastically said to no one in particular as the ghost of Sharad Hett hovered next to his son, who looked befuddled at the appearance of the Howlrunner.

 

“Father, how are you here right now?” A’Sharad numbly said as he assembled his thoughts enough to speak to Sharad.

 

“ _I was drawn from the Netherworld of the Force through your pain and grief, my son. It has been a long time since I saw you, and I am sorry that I could not be there for you during the loss of Xiann._ ” Sharad explained as he consoled his son over the loss of his love.

 

“It is not your fault, father. It was mine and the Sith’s fault, as I failed you and all of my teachers when I fell to the Dark Side after the fall of the Jedi, and the Sith for orchestrating the Clone War to take over the entire galaxy.” A’Shrarad said as Rahm began to notice Ventis shiver in his sleep, which made him grow concerned for his fellow Jedi, and with a motion of his head, indicated Ahsoka and Tau to follow him to their sole sleeping friend, leaving the two former leaders of the Sand People alone to speak.

 

“ _We each share a portion of the blame for what happened, my love._ ” Said a gentle but firm female voice that belonged to the spectral form of a cyan-colored Twi’lek Jedi that A’Sharad immediately recognized as the woman that he loved before her death at the climax of the Siege of Saleucami during the closing days of the Outer Rim Sieges. She then continued, saying, “ _If we had looked deeper into the mysteries of the origins of the Clone War, and believed Dooku when he told Master Kenobi of Darth Sidious controlling the Senate at Geonosis, then the losses of the Clone War might have been avoided, or at the very least, mitigated, and the Dark Side of the Force would not control the galaxy._ ” She then smiled at her former lover, and sympathetically said, “ _You’ve had to endure so much, A’Sharad. And for that, I am truly sorry that I could not be there for you when you were at your lowest._ ”

 

“The fault is mine, Xiann. I chose to exact vengeance on the settlers of Tatooine when I should have been keeping hope alive throughout the galaxy, which cost me my home and my arm. If it weren’t for Tau and his friends, I would have become what I despised most of all.” A’Sharad countered, not willing to have the blame taken away from him when he deserved it.

 

“ _That is true, A’Sharad. But you are now back on the path of light, and you will not fall to the Dark Side again. Trust in yourself, your friends, and the dark ally who you will help redeem on this planet. May Iluvatar guide your steps, my son._ ” Sharad said as his spectral form faded away, despite his son’s vocal protests.

 

Immediately afterwards, Xiann’s spirit began to dissipate. But, before her form fully returned to the Netherworld of the Force, she tenderly said, “ _Do not despair over me, A’Sharad. You will find love again, and it will heal the wounds in your heart. Now, go help your friends, as Ventis is in dire need of your aid. Good-bye, my love._ ” With those final words said, her spirit fully vanished, leaving a brokenhearted and teary-eyed A’Sharad alone with his thoughts before he remembered what his deceased lover told him, and he immediately went over to his four friends, three of whom were trying in vain to wake their oldest fellow Jedi.

 

“What is wrong with Ventis? I can sense a pall of darkness over his mind.” A’Sharad said as he struggled to rein in his chaotic emotions.

 

“We don’t know. All I can sense is past pain, and images of a Muun and Bith, which could…” Tau said as he immediately recognized the two individuals, and fearfully cursed out, “Oh, _KRIFF_!! Guys, I think that Ventis is being mentally assaulted by the two Banite Sith Lords who tortured him.”

 

“WHAT?!?” The three other Jedi horrifyingly said as Nagme quickly woke up over the shouting.

 

She quickly saw Ventis violently shaking in his sleep, and, fearing the worst, said, “Tau, is Ventis having another Force nightmare?”

 

“Worse, Nagme. He’s being assaulted by Darths Tenebrous and Plagueis’s spirits.” Tau grimly said before he said, “Get Jarael up, and have her prep the life-support equipment for Ventis at once!! And get Celebion ready for the song!!” 

 

Nodding her head in undertanding, she quickly ran into the _Second Chance_ , leaving the four Jedi alone with their fallen friend. Ahsoka then said, “Well, Tau, he’s your apprentice? How do we help him?”

 

“This happened to Edaan once, so I know exactly what to do. I’ll go into Ventis’s mind in order to help him fight off Tenebrous and Plagueis, while you guys supply us with Force energy in order to help fight off these two Sith Lords. Plan?” Tau explained, which astounded the three other Force users with his quick thinking, as well as the plan itself, as it could kill Tau if his plan failed. But, seeing as there were no alternatives that could help Ventis, as everyone but Tau assumed that the elder Jedi was a meek and quiet man who did not possess a strong connection to the Force.

 

Being the first to regain his bearings, Rahm nodded his head in understanding, and motioned for his two friends to prepare to supply Tau and Ventis with the energy to overcome the Sith spirits that were plauging the apprentice’s mind and soul.

 

While Tau sat in front of Ventis in order to reach into his mind, Rahm, Ahsoka, and A’Sharad sat in a triangle in order to provide the necessary energy for this gamble to work. In a matter of moments, everything was ready, and Tau entered into the mind of his tortured apprentice, ready for whatever horrors existed within his mind.

 

_Meanwhile, Within Ventis’s Subconscious Mind_

 

Ventis was hacking and slashing at the spectral form of Darth Plagueis, which provided no results, as all of his blows passed right through the Muun Sith Lord. This only increased the desperation in the human’s mind, as he was deathly afraid of facing one of the Sith who corrupted him and set him on a path of self-destruction and mayhem.

 

Through all of this, Plagueis simply smirked in amusement at the human’s franticness, and then said, “ _Really, Ventis? You really think that a lightsaber can stop me? I was drawn here through your grief over Gallies’s sins, and I will see my experiment rise again, even if I have to detroy your mind yet again. After all, you will be my instrument of vengeance agaisnt my former apprentice and his Empire that I should have been ruling over._ ” He then projected a younger version of Ventis, when he was the Dark Side Adept Gallies, into his mind, and the numerous atrocities that he had committed, to illegal arms deals, killing innocent civilians, to the worst of them all, raping then-Jedi Padawan Naomi Valo, forever scarring the innocent girl, and forcing her to carry his seed that would become Daniel Valo, the son that forgave him of his sins, and risked everything to save him when he should have killed him. The Sith Lord then said, “ _This is your destiny, Ventis. Give into the Dark Side, and submit to your fate._ ”

 

“NEVER!!!” Ventis fearfully shouted, desperate to avoid becoming that monster again, and prepared to drive his lightsaber through his head in order to kill himself in an effort to prevent himself from becoming that demon again, only to be stopped by his master, Tau, who grabbed his hand and gently pushed it down, away from his head.

 

“T-Tau? How are you here? Are you another of Plagueis’s tricks, or are you real?” Ventis hesitatingly said, not able to cope with any other illusions of any kind, be them benevolent or wicked.

 

“Don’t worry, my apprentice. I’m real, and I’m here to help you drive back this demon back to the darkness from whence he came.” Tau said, his voice full of determination as he spoke, which bolstered the greatly-diminished resolve of his friend.

 

Plagueis then laughed in mockery of this turn of events, and said, “ _So, the future scion of my treacherous ward shows himself to me. Well, this will work to my favor even further, for now I will have two servants in one sitting._ ”

 

Tau viciously smiled at Plagueis, and said to rile up the Sith’s ghost, “Sorry, Sithspawn, but that’s not in the cards for either of us. We’re going to walk out of here, and you’re going back to Chaos, where you belong.

 

Plagueis then snarled at the young Jedi’s mockery of his great heritage, and lunged at the adolescent Palpatine, only to be blocked by a blinding shield of light that protected the two Jedi from the Sith’s attacks. He then looked at Tau, who then triumphantly said, “As Master Vodo-Siosk Baas said to the first Jedi students of my Order when they faced Exar Kun’s spirit, ‘The way to destroy the darkness is to increase the light’!” He then poured all of the gathered energy from himself, Rahm, A’Sharad, and Ahsoka into his shield, which all but drove the deceased Dark Lord of the Sith from Ventis’s mind, which baffled the older Jedi, as he thought that Tau could expell the spirit of one of his tormentors.

 

As if Tau could read Ventis’s mind, and said, “Ventis, I don’t have enough power to expel Plagueis on my own. We can only do it if we work as a team.”

 

Shocked beyond belief that Tau would want his help for such an important task, Ventis tried to protest this astounding leap of faith, but Tau would have none of it, and said, “Look, Ventis, you have a choice to make right here and now. You can either die here with me while wallowing in self-pity, allowing Plagueis to carry out his insane schemes, or, you can become the great man that your own son knows that you can be, and rise above your sins as Gallies. The choice is yours, but know that, if no one else, the two of us believe in you.”

 

Realizing that nothing that he could say would deter Tau from trusting in him, and remembering all that his illegitimate son had done to save him from his dark prison, he began to channel his Force energy into Tau’s shield, and began to fully expel Plagueis from his mind, only for the Dark Lord of the Sith to hang on by the skin of his teeth, and shout as he attempted one last attack on Ventis, only to be rebuffed by a determined Ventis, who drew on his deep affection and love of Daniel and his daughter, as well as the friendships that he formed with Daniel and Tau’s friends, and fully expanded the shield to illuminate the dank prison that he was trapped in for so long, which drove Plagueis back into Chaos as he let out a final blood-curdling scream.

 

Once the two Jedi could sense that they were safe, Tau took in several deep breaths in order to steady himself, and optimistically said to his student, “Well, that didn’t take as long as I thought it would. You okay, Venits?”

 

“I am. Thanks to you, my master.” Ventis said in complete gratitude as he let silent tears fall from his face at this victory against his past ghosts, which caused Tau to pat his apprentice on his back in comfort to his friend.

 

“Don’t thank me alone, Ventis. Ahsoka and Masters Kota and Hett helped us by reinforcing the Force Shield. But, don’t forget to feel proud of your acomplishment, as you made the choice to move forward with your life, and you made the choice to choose hope instead of fear, and that’s a deed that few beings can say that they’ve done in their lives.” Tau said in correction and praise of his learner, and then said, “Now, let’s get out of this madhouse, and head back to the ship. I asked Jarael to prepare the medical bay for your treatment, and Celebion to help sing your favorite song.”

 

Upon hearing those last two words in Tau’s last sentence, Ventis perked up at having the chance to sing his favorite song that he and Tau’s crew learned from Celebion, and said, “Gladly, Tau.” With that said, the two Jedi left this dream and returned to the realm of the living.

 

***

 

Ventis awoke with a great gasp of breath, and then sat up and inhaled several deep breaths of oxygen in order to regain his bearings after that confrontation with the apprentice of his Sith torturer. He then saw the concerned faces of Tau, Ahsoka, Rahm, and A’Sharad appear in his fielf of vision, and the Togruta female said in worry, “Ventis, are you okay?”

 

“Don’t worry about me, Ahsoka. I’ll survive.” Ventis gratefully said to his friend before his face turned deathly serious, and he stumbled up to his feet, and said to everyone, “Let’s get back to the ship, as I have some terrible things to tell you about me, and I have a song to sing for you guys.”

 

Tau then grew concerned at Ventis’s first declaration, and said, “Ventis? Are you sure about this? If you do this, there’s no going back.”

 

“I’m sure, Tau. These guys helped save my soul from Plagueis, and they deserve to know the truth about me, even if it results in them trying to kill me.” Ventis honestly said to his master, and he led the way back to the _Second Chance_ , who’s boarding ramp was opened to let the five warriors in, and revealed a hard-working Jarael preparing the life-support equipment in case Ventis went into shock, and Nagme and Celebion were at her side to assist her with anything that the cyborg medic said.

 

Each of the three crewmembers of Tau’s ship nearly dropped everything that they carried upon seeing a calm and unharmed Ventis walking up to them with a content smile on his face, and he said, “Don’t worry, guys. I’m all right.”

 

 “But-but…” Jarael stuttered out before she saw Tau and the rest of his friends, and sighed in frustration and said, “What did you guys do that made my services not needed here?”

 

“They just went into my mind and expelled Darth Plagueis’s ghost from him in order to prevent the return of Gallies.” Ventis said in a calm but shameful manner, which made the three temporary crew members of the _Second Chance_ stop dead in their tracks and pull out their lightsabers, which made Tau facepalm himself at his apprentice’s lack of tact.

 

“You mean to tell me that you’ve been training a former Inquisitor, Dark Side Adept, and criminal of so many charges that he should be execulted right now, not to mention that he raped a Padawan and never got punished for it, in the ways of the Jedi Order?!? Just what kind of drugs are you on in order to make such a monumental idiotic decision, Tau?” Rahm said as he readied his ligthsaber to attack, with Ahsoka and A’Sharad close behind, as they too knew of Gallies’s many crimes.

 

“If you would kindly put down the lightsabers, and listen to what we have to tell you, we’ll be more than happy to explain Ventis’s very tragic past.” Tau said with as much calmness as he could muster with three highly-trained Force-Sensitives ready to attack at a moment’s notice.

 

Ahsoka, looking into the minds of both Tau and Ventis for any indication of treachery or deceit, decided to take a leap of faith in the man who she had formed a unique friendship with, deactivated her lightsabers and reluctantly said, “Fine. But, if I don’t like the explanation, then all bets are off.”

 

Following Ahsoka’s lead, as he knew that she was an excellent judge of character, A’Sharad followed suit, and said, “Agreed.”

 

Seeing that he was outnumbered and outmatched for now, Rahm relented, and said, “All right. I’ll back off for now.”

 

“Good. Trust me, you’ll understand why Ventis deserves this chance to turn his life around.”   
Tau gratefully said. He then added, “Oh, can someone wake up Akuu and ask him to prep the ship to take the ship to the Mortis Monastery once the storm lets up in a couple of hours?”

 

_Two Hours Later_

 

Ahsoka, A’Sharad, and Rahm could hardly believe what Ventis and Tau had told them about the former’s terrible suffering at the hands of the Bith legendary starship designer Rugess Nome, also known as Darth Tenebrous; and his apprentice, Darth Plagueis, better known as Hego Damask II, a high-ranking leader of the Intergalactic Banking Clan before his death at then-Senator Palpatine’s hands the night prior to his ascension to Supreme Chancellor of the Old Republic, had captured the young Ventis from his home on a remote world near the Unknown Regions, and experimented on him in order to try and discover the secrets behind Midi-chlorians, and broke his mind. What truly disgusted them, however, was how when they discovered that he had a powerful connection to the Force, he was reshaped into an experiment that they called “Gallies”, and set loose on the galaxy as a distraction for the Jedi to focus on. He then committed countless crimes in his own selfish aims, and the one good thing that came of his transgressions was the birth of Daniel Valo, who grew up to be a Jedi Knight, a resistance leader of the Shadow Alliance, and a loving husband and father who, after discovering Ventis’s horrific past, fought tooth and limb to save him, and eventually destroyed Gallies and brought a guilt-wracked Ventis back into control, who then became Tau’s apprentice in order to discover how he could atone for his crimes as Gallies.

 

“So, now you know all about me.” Ventis said as he fearfully looked at his three crewmembers, and continued, saying, “What are you going to do with this newfound knowledge?”

 

After a moment that seemed to last an eternity, A’Sharad said, “It was not your fault that you were corrupted by two Sith that the Jedi should have stopped, Ventis. And, you are owning up to what Gellies did, which takes true character and courage to do so. So, I am willing to help you on your journey of atonement, if you help me on mine.”

 

Ahsoka followed her older Clone War in encouragement, saying, “We’ve all done things that we regret. But what happened to you wasn’t your doing, and you don’t have to cling to the guilt of what Gallies did while he was in control. I would be proud to call you a friend, Ventis.”

 

Rahm, who was the most reluctant of his three Force-senstitive friends, said, “I’ll admit that I have more than a few doubts on Ventis’s fitness due to his guilt, but he does seem repentant over his sins, so I’ll give him one chance to prove himself. But, I’ll be watching him closely, and don’t be calling me paranoid, because I’m giving him more creidit than Master Windu would have.” He hten felt the heated glares that everyone sent him, which, if he was being honest with himelf, he could not blame them due to his caution, but he would not apologize for considering all possible angles. Dismissing the glares that everyone was giving the Jedi General, in an effort to deflect attention from his suspicousness, and to look for hope in this dreadful situation, as he heard a name of a Jedi that he did not expect to hear again, he then asked, “So, speaking of Naomi, is she still alive, as we hadn’t heard from her for over five years, and you mentioned her name in passing, so I hoped that she was all right?”

 

“She’s doing well. She’s actually helping the Shadow Alliance’s army/empire building in the Unknown Regions.” Tau said. He prepared to check up on Akuu’s preparations on the _Second Chance_ , but Rahm stopped him with a lighthearted question.

 

“So, what’s the song that Celebion knows that you, Ventis, and him were going to sing?”

 

Glad that Celebion had a chance to move the converstaion onto something more pleasant, the Dunedain Ranger said, “Well, it’s an old song from the destoryed island of Númenor, and it’s called ‘Fires of War’. I think that you guys will enjoy it.” He began to sing, accompanied by Tau and Ventis, who knew the song inside and out, and they sang in perfect harmony,

 

“ _Stone by stone_

_Cracked, crushed, fallen_

_Beauty burned, erased_

_But not forgotten_

_I’ll take your melodies_

_May your last breath_

_Fill the air with embers_

_I inhale_

_In their blood I will stand_

_Let the waning light of man_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_

_Till our time burns away_

_Till our embers fade to grey_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_

_My grief is swollen_

_In rusty chains_

_Tethered to the killing wheel_

_Sun up, sun down, sun up, sun down, again_

_One burning candle_

_One wind whipped flame_

_I carry in my teeth like an animal_

_Vengeance my strength_

_In their blood I will stand_

_Let the waning light of man_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_

_Till our time burns away_

_Till our embers fade to grey_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_ _!_ ”

 

Once the approximately four minute song ended, everyone clapped in amazement of the beautiful, but tragic, song, and Ahsoka whistled at the brilliant performance by the three men.

 

Once the cheering died down, Akuu took this moment to appear, and said, “I’m sorry to interrupt this beautiful moment, but the storms have died down, and the sky is as bright as a sun, so we’d better get going if we’re going to beat the Empire’s minions to the Dagger.” 

 

“Right. Thank’s for the head-up, Akuu.” Tau gratefully said as he stood up from his seat, and walked with his friend to the ship’s cockpit, with the rest of the ship’s crew heading to their assigned stations in order to prepare for battle against three of Sidious’s deadliest servants. In five minutes, the _Second Chance_ lifted off and blasted its way to the Father’s monastery, where the Jedi and their allies would face off agianst two powerful threats, one of which had a great grudge against the Jedi and all Force-Sensitives, and would stop at nothing to reshape the galaxy in their own twisted image.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends the most disturbing chapter of my story to date. The mentions of Gallies’s past crimes is the reason that I am moving this rating to “M”, just in case it’s too mature for any younger viewers. So, how are you guys doing on the afternoon of January 24, 2018? I’m doing well, as I’ve done some homework, and am going to eat dinner soon, which is always a good thing. I hope that you enjoy this story, as there will be action and surprises in the next few chapters, which I greatly enjoy in stories. Oh, before I forget, it might take a few days for me to write the next chapter, as I’ve got a few places to go to on Friday, which will take up a good deal of my time. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings, all of my friends and fellow Star Wars aficionados! How are you doing on the day of January 25, 2018? I’m doing very well, as I had community college today, and did some homework, which frees up the rest of my day for writing, which is a boon, as I LOVE to write. So, when we last left our heroes, they had learned about Ventis’s shameful past, and had begun to fly to the Mortis Monastery, and retrieve the Dagger of Mortis, where they would face not one, but two great threats to the Shadow Alliance’s plans, and where they would find a dark ally, just like how the Hero of Tython joined forces with the Emperor’s Wrath, Scourge, in order to stop Vitiate’s plans for ultimate immortality. Man, do I miss the days of the Expanded Universe! Well, on with the story!

_Twenty Minutes Later_

_Outside the Mortis Monastery_

As Tau, Ahsoka, Rahm, A’Sharad, Ventis, Nagme, and Butch departed the _Second Chance_ , they came upon a sight that they dreaded, the three speeder bikes that could only belong to the Dark Jedi under Sidious’s command, which worried the seven friends, and caused them to bolt up the long series of steps to the center of the monastery, which revealed a sight that no one could have foreseen: the two High Inquisitors, Jerec and Antinnis Tremayne, as well as one of Sidious’s personal servants in the Dark Side, the Emperor’s Hand known as Arden Lyn, engaged with twenty-two surviving Knights of Olpaka that were defending the area where the Son’s slowly decaying corpse, as well as the wardrobe of the Father, who became One with the Force after his martyring to stop his evil son, where the Dagger of Mortis lay.

 

Tau, holding up his hand in order to stop everyone from mindlessly charging into the battlefield, quickly assessed the situation, and, after seeing the twenty-one Jansar battle suits of the Knights of Olpaka, and the even greater-armed Zellot battle suit that belonged to a high-ranking general of the Knights of Olpaka, who then looked at Tau and his friends, and, through his suit’s internal communications equipment, redirected eight of his Knights to attack the Jedi and their allies.

 

The eight Knights used their thruster packs to avoid the Force attacks of the Dark Jedi, and charge towards the seven Light Siders. Before they reached their targets, Tau shouted, “Do not engage them alone!” He quickly pulled out his comlink, and shouted into it, “Bring in the big guns yesterday!”  Once he was done speaking, the Knights reached their position, and the Jedi and their allies fled into three groups, with two groups of three Knights, and one group of two, going after their greatest adversaries.

 

Tau and Nagme, knowing from past experience how to deal with these Force-hating bigots, shared a look of understanding as they each pulled out ion grenades, and threw them at their three Knights with amplified speed due to Tau’s usage of the Force. While one of them managed to avoid the range of the detonation, the other two Knights were caught in the ion pulse, and their suits shut down, the heavy armor pulling the Knights down to the ground. Knowing that they had to act fast in order to keep the remaining Knight from killing one of their friends, Nagme and Tau split up in order to help one of the other teams.

 

Nagme bolted to pursue the retreating Knight to where he was helping his two brethren in their attempt to kill Ahsoka, Butch, and Ventis, who were barely managing to hold their own against their technologically-superior foes. Between their three Jansar suits’ built-in repulsors and grappling hooks, the three friends were forced to be quick on their feet in order to stay alive.

 

It was then that Nagme revealed one of her hybrid projects that she was working on with her cybernetic comrade and shipmate, Jarael, and pulled out a blaster pistol and aimed at the closest Knight in her line of fire. Once she was sure that she would not hit one of her friends, she pulled the trigger, and a highly corrosive acid was unleashed in a ear-piercing shriek, which made contact with the Knight’s head, and quickly ate away at the helmet, along with the woman’s face, causing her to let out a bloodcurdling scream of agony before all that remained was a stump where a head used to be, which horrified and enraged the two surviving Knights, who dropped Ventis and Ahsoka from their death grip, and blindly charged at the Yuuzhan Vong Shamed One.

 

Fortunately for Nagme, who decided to train with Celebion and Tau in the use of self-defense techniques after her liberation from Dol Guldur, used the momentum of one of the stampeding Knights to pull him over her shoulder, and then used her acid spitting blaster on his face, which caused the same reaction on him as on the woman. While she was doing this, Butch used this chance to strike at the monsters who would dare try to kill his master and his friends, and used his brute strength to rip the armor off of the young human, and bit him on his jugular vein, which made him bleed to death in a matter of seconds. The Tuk’ata hound then spat out the blood in his mouth in disgust at tasting such tainted food.

 

With the second group of Knights neutralized, the five friends then went to see A’Sharad and Tau electrocuting the three remaining Knights with their Light Side application of Force Lightning, which fried the Knights within their armor, and killed them in a matter of seconds. 

 

Rahm, sensing that his friends did not draw on the Dark Side for this little maneuver, and seeing that the rest of their allies made their way to them, said, “We’d better get the dagger and get out of here while we’re still an afterthought, because we cannot have those two groups join forces against us, or we’re dead meat.”

 

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, General Kota.” Said a hateful voice as he stood in his Zellot battle suit, whose helmet was removed to reveal a heavily scarred man that Tau instantly recognized, and returned the glare of disgust that the Knights of Olpaka general returned with equal intensity.

 

“Vlad Karamazov III.” Tau bit out, remembering the vile man from Viridian’s debriefing of him, and of the latter’s last encounter with him on the Knights’ home world of Olpaka, where he accidentally paralyzed his son, causing him to commit to a vendetta of killing everyone and everything that Viridian loved before impaling him as well.

 

“You know this guy?” Ahsoka said as she prepared to engage this genocidal madman while not knowing the history between the two men who were trading daggers at each other.

 

“This ‘guy’, as you so lightly put it, Ahsoka, is one of the leaders of the Knights of Olpaka, who is also a Force-hating lunatic! He set up a forest of dead Force Users on his world in order to celebrate every one of his victims’ deaths.” Tau repulsively said as he struggled to cap his growing anger at seeing another vile man who took delight in the suffering of innocents for nothing more than the incredible gifts that they were blessed with at birth.

 

“I prefer to think of each of my experiments as getting one step closer to eradicating Force Sensitivity from all afflicted beings, Jedi Palpatine.” Vlad calmly said, which mortified the strike team with how collected and enthusiastic he sounded over his affiliation with such a vile organization, as well as the butchering of countless sentient beings.

 

“You…you demon!!! Force Sensitivity is a great gift that is something to nourish and train to better oneself, and for others, not a virus that kills people upon getting into contact with it!!” Ahsoka shouted out, her rage now boiling as well now that she knew just how demented this man was.

 

“Oh, you poor deluded women. Look at what Force Sensitivity has done to the galaxy: Countless wars between various religions who worship it, the suffering of ordinary people for eons, and the creation of people who view themselves as superior to those without their so-called gifts. Don’t you see? The galaxy would be better off without Force Sensitivity, and I will do whatever it takes to stop its ruination of the galaxy, just as the Star Cabal tried to do so during the Galactic War between the Jedi and Vitiate’s Sith.” Vlad said with increasing passion and obvious insanity, which disturbed the Shadow Alliance members even further.

 

“You mean those money-grubbing hypocritical power-mongers that wanted to have all the glory and power in the name of ordinary people, while the Force Sensitives were treated no better than slaves of serfs? You do realize that they were taken down by a team of Imperial Intelligence agents and SIS agents, right?” Tau said as he referred to ancient history in order to beat Vlad at his game of self-justification for his crimes against Iluvatar himself.

 

“They didn’t go far enough in their war against a war-loving Force, Palpatine. But the Knights of Olpaka will win this war, because we won’t hold back at all!” Vlad fanatically shouted as he put his helmet back on, and said, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a Dagger to take in order to figure out to destroy it and other Force-strong places and objects.” 

 

Somehow, Tau’s estimations in Vlad’s dance with insanity dropped even further, which he expressed with a shrill voice as he said, “Have you lost your _karking_ mind any more than you already have, Vlad?!? That dagger is the only deterrent that we have against a Celestial monster if she ever gets released. You take that away, and we’re looking at the end of civilization for good.”

 

“Poor, stupid Jedi. You have no idea of what we’re capable of. Now, I believe that I wasted enough time on you. I think that I’ll kill the Inquisitors first, get your precious dagger, and then flee to begin my next experiment. Ta-ta, now.” Vlad gloatingly said as he activated his Zellot suit’s thrusters, and barreled away to ambush the three Dark Jed that, despite being bloodied in several locations, were decimating his six remaining Knights.

 

He managed to get the drop on Antinnis Tremayne, who was about to finish off one of the downed Knights, and grabbed his head, twisted it to break the neck, and then ripped the head clean off of his body, blood gushing out of both the head and neck in a rapid pace, which immediately killed the first High Inquisitor.

 

“And, that’s another head to add to my forest.” Vlad satisfyingly said as he prepared to deal with the remaining two Dark Siders, when he saw his remaining Knights be destroyed by the Jedi’s team. Considering his options, as he feared that he could not win against his nine adversaries if they decided to work together, and, knowing that the Jedi, as arrogant as they were, would be a better owner for the Dagger than the Sith, as they would want to just keep it safe as a contingency for Abeloth’s possible return. He then used his repulsors to grab the dagger, tossed it to Tau, and said to him in a reluctant tone, “Don’t think that this changes anything between us, Tau. You’re just the lesser of two evils that I’m going to eventually destroy. Just keep the dagger somewhere safe. Until we meet again, _Jedi_.” He then took his two surviving Knights and executed a tactical withdrawal, fleeing to one of their shuttles that they hid within the monastery, leaving the two Dark Side Adepts and seven Shadow Alliance members alone to deal with each other.

 

“ _Tau, sorry for taking so long, the generator was a little sluggish for a couple of minutes. Anyway, the ship’s ready to fight, and we’ve got a shuttle prepping to leave Mortis. Want us to intercept?_ ” Akuu suddenly said in Tau’s earpiece.

 

After a moment of contemplation, he decided to pick the strategic picture over selfish vengeance, no matter how justified it might be, “Negative, Akuu. We might need a quick evac, and we need the ship standing by. Don’t pursue.” Tau responded as he prepared to engage the two adversaries. He was so focused on the two fallen Jedi, that he did not foresee the betrayal that followed, as Arden used her Juggernaut War Droid prosthetic arm to bash the head of an unsuspecting Jerec, which knocked him out, and stunned the seven friends motionless.

 

This allowed Arden to grab her former comrade’s lightsaber, and disgustingly muttered, “ _Never thought that I’d have to use one of these._ ” She then swung the lightsaber at the unconscious Miraluka’s head, and it flew away from the now-headless corpse. She then looked at the weapon as if it were disease-ridden, and threw it away from her. What she did next shocked everyone even further, as she walked over to Tau and his friends, and kneeled in respect, saying with a degree of humility that she did not know that she still possessed, “I am your servant in the war against your ancestor and his empire, Tau Palpatine.”

 

As the four Jedi and their friends stood in awe of what was happening, Butch walked over to Arden and sympathetically licked her face, which made A’Sharad remember what his father’s spirit had told him, and said, “You are the dark ally that my father told us to redeem.”

 

“That would be a safe assumption, Jedi Master A’Sharad Hett. My name is Arden Lyn, one of Darth Sidious’s Emperor’s Hands, and I am at your command.” Arden loyally said as Tau approached her and his loyal hound. 

 

“You were the last leader of the Legions of Lettow, and the lover of the founder of the Legions, the late Dark Jedi Xendor, correct?” Tau said in order to confirm who he was speaking to.

 

“That is correct, Jedi Palpatine.” Arden simply replied as she stood up to see her superior from a better angle.

 

“How do you know who I am, as I’m willing to bet that my ancestor wasn’t able to tell you, or your former associates, of my existence?” Tau said, in reference to Tremayne and Jerec’s decapitated bodies. “And, not that I’m complaining or doubting your loyalty, but why are you willing to desert the ruler of the galaxy in order to restore the Jedi Order, who you swore to help bring down when you joined Sidious and his regime?” Tau questioned as the rest of his compatriots looked on with caution, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice if their friend was threatened.

 

“Because the ghost of my love healed my fractured mind, told me of Sidious’s deceptions, and informed me of the threats that you face. He told me that I would find my new purpose in serving your Shadow Alliance, and I intend to honor my love’s final wishes.” Arden said with pure honesty, which astounded Tau, and raised even further questions in the young Jedi’s mind.

 

However, before he could continue his line of questions, Arden said, “Xendor also told me to tell you that your great-great-grandfather is on his way to the Tython System, so we’d better get out of the system if we hope to take the Dagger of Mortis before the Sith arrive. Oh, and, he wanted me to tell you that the connection between me and Sidious has been destroyed, so that he can’t keep track of my movements. Now, I believe that we have an empire to overthrow.” She then began to walk towards the _Second Chance_ , with the ship’s crew looking at each other for about five seconds before they bolted to their one way off of the artificial planet.

 

Once the eight passengers entered the ship, Akuu, who was sitting in the ship’s cockpit, said into the intercom, “Did you guys get the dagger?”

 

“Yeah we got the dagger, and a defecting Emperor’s Hand in the process. Oh, and we’re all fine, so thanks for asking, Akuu.” Nagme sarcastically replied to her Anzati friend as she went to go put her experimental blaster away in her acid-proof container.

 

“Sounds like a story to tell once we’ve escaped the system.” Akuu calmly replied as the ship began to hover over the ground, and blasted into the atmosphere. As the ship headed into the atmosphere, the blinding white light that first brought the Second Chance into the monolith appeared again, transporting them, along with the single shuttle that carried the three surviving Knights of Olpaka, which appeared right behind them at the last second, out of Mortis, and back into the Tython System, where the Imperials awaited them.

 

_Back in the Tython System_

_Onboard the_ Inquisitor _’s Command Bridge_

_Thirty-Six Hours after departing the Coruscant System_

 

Imperial Security Bureau Colonel Wullf Yularen was on edge, as he had been for the last ten hours since his personal Star Destroyer had arrived in the Tython System, where he was awaiting the rest of the nine Star Destroyers that were on route to support the outclassed Captain Kendal Ozzel in his mission to capture the rogue Jedi under Tau Palpatine’s command, including the _Devastator_ , which was now Lord Vader’s flagship, and the _Obliterator_ , the Emperor’s personal Star Destroyer, which were leading the upcoming blockade of the Tython System, which would commence in approximately thirty minutes, when the _Sovereign_ , the new flagship of Grand Moff Tarkin, arrived in the system.

 

What no one but Yularen’s most trusted advisors knew, however, was the two unauthorized guests that he had on the Inquisitor in order to get a message through to the Jedi’s YT-1300 ship, whenever it appeared. He had only wanted Captain Thrawn on this mission, but he reconsidered once he recommended the former Republic Intelligence spymaster, now smuggling and information kingpin, Jori Car'das, on the mission, who knew Imperial transmissions like the back of his hand, could beam a secret transmission to the _Second Chance_ without anyone onboard the _Inquisitor_ knowing, while official communicating with the Jedi and his former comrade, Ahsoka Tano, and giving them a chance to provide him with another side of Emperor Palpatine’s palpable, and rather pathetic, attempt at a cover-up.

 

It was as Wullf was considering what to say to Ahsoka and Tau, when the Jedi would eventually appear, and what he would say when he spoke with them, a bright flash of white light appeared, and his sensors officer was the first to regain his sight, and looked at the sensors monitor. Upon seeing the readouts, he shouted to the ISB colonel, “Sir, we’ve got a CEC YT-1300 Light Freighter barreling past the Vengeance, and one of the three _Theta_ -class shuttles that first bypassed captain Ozzel’s blockade is right behind it!” 

 

Once Yularen regained his sight, he said, “Open a line to the Corellian ship. That’s where we’ll find the Jedi. Have the _Vengeance_ focus on the Theta shuttle.”

 

As soon as he said those words, the _Inquisitor_ ’s communications officer raised her hand, and said, “Sir, we’re receiving a transmission from the YT-1300 freighter, designated the _Second Chance_.”

 

Realizing that this would be his chance to beam a transmission to the Rebels, he keyed his datapad in order to inform Thrawn and Car’das to start beaming their transmission, and then said, “Open a line to them.” Once the comms officer indicated that he had done so, he spoke with his trademark authoritative voice, “Attention, _Second Chance_. This is Colonel Wullf Yularen of the Imperial Security Bureau, and you are reported of harboring Jedi fugitives. Stand by for a boarding party.”

 

“ _Are you aware that you’re serving a Sith Lord, Colonel Yularen?_ ” Said a strong male voice that came from the Corellian ship’s communicator, which caught the ISB colonel off-guard, as he did not expect such a blatant question.

 

Realizing that he had to buy more time for his two allies to send a burst transmission to the ship, and to avoid the suspicion of High Inquisitor Halmere, who was stationed on the _Vengeance_ as an observer and Force Advisor, he replied, “ _Second Chance_ , I will not repeat myself. Deaccelerate your speed, and prepare for boarding, or we’ll be force you to comply.”

 

“ _Wullf, you need to let us pass. Whatever the Emperor and Vader told you about us is a lie, and we’re trying to save the galaxy from his dominion._ ” Said the firm but gentle voice of Ahsoka Tano, which shocked Yularen, as, despite hearing Lord Vader’s report, he did not truly expect to see Ahsoka again after she left the Jedi Order when Tarkin led the witch hunt against him.

 

“Commander Tano. I did not expect you to return to the Jedi after their betrayal of you.” Wullf calmly replied as Halmere glared at him for delaying an attack.

 

“ _And none of us expected you to serve a dictatorship after your family’s long and prestigious history of honor and loyalty to the Republic._ ” The unsympathetic and harsh voice of Rahm Kota came into the intercom, which further stunned Yularen due to the Jedi General’s appearance at two unexpected hotspots of dissent.

 

After Halmere simply sighed in exasperation at the delays, the High Inquisitor began to apply pressure on the colonel’s brain, and, getting the message, Yularen painfully said, “My loyalties are not the ones in question. Your time to peacefully surrender is up. Either surrender, or we’ll unleash chaos on you.”

 

“ _No, colonel. You’re the ones who are about to have Chaos unleashed on you._ ” A second female voice said into bridge’s comms, which stunned one of the first four Inquisitors into a brief silence, as he assumed that the latest of the Emperor’s Hands had perished within the Mortis Monolith.

 

Halmere then growled out, “Lyn, what in the blazes do you think that you’re doing with those Jedi?!?”

 

“ _Doing what I should have done when I first met Sidious. Tell your master that I quit, and have him be prepared to have the full power of the Force unleashed on his precious Empire._ ” Arden scornfully said to her former subordinate.

 

Looking as if he was about to have an aneurysm, Halmere growled out to the weapons officers onboard the Star Destroyer, “Have all fighters deployed, and prepare to disable the ship. The Emperor will want to deal with these traitors personally, so take care not to destroy their ship, or you’ll answer to Lord Vader himself.”

 

Not even waiting to hear the acknowledgement from the gunnery officers, Halmere turned to face Yularen, and said, “I’m going to lead the fighter complements against the Second Chance. You have the helm until I return. Don’t mess this up, or the Emperor will kill the both of us.”

 

As the Dark Sider left to prime his altered Jedi Starfighter for flight, Yularen pressed a button on his datapad, which signaled for Thrawn and Car’das to begin their next phase of their clandestine mission, which would give the Second Chance a window of opportunity to escape, and eliminate a vile officer onboard the _Inquisitor_.

 

 _Meanwhile, within_ Inquisitor _’s_ _Engine Room_

 

“Well, Captain Thrawn, the transmission is sent. And just in time, too. Yularen’s signaling us to begin Phase Two of the mission.” Jori Car’das satisfactorily said to his Chiss friend as the message from his former superior came through, which made the young Imperial Captain form a barely noticeable smile on his face as he triggered a countdown for a computer virus that would cause a power surge within the reactor, where the soon-to-be captain Pter Nyklas would take command of his own Star Destroyer, the _Flanchard_ , and handle a small portion of the Wookiee slave trade for the Empire, which immensely disgusted the two comrades.

 

“Good. It will be interesting to see how these Jedi take this opportunity to handle the low chances of them escaping the system.” Thrawn stated in his calm and contemplative tone, all the while preparing the virus that would disable the _Inquisitor_ , and prepare Thrawn for what he hoped to be an insightful meeting with the Jedi about his people’s greatest enemies, the Yuuzhan Vong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, that’s a wrap on the second-to-last chapter of the Mortis arc of my story. Well, what did you think of the decapitations of Jerec and Tremayne, as I got the idea for Tremayne’s death at Vlad’s hands from how Amazo ripped the head off of General Zod from the Injustice 2 comic book series, as I thought that Tremayne deserved it for his crimes against the free people of the galaxy. Now, as for the defection of Arden Lyn, once the Jedi escape the Tython System, she will tell them the whole story of her defection and repentance through a flashback. And, the Shadow Alliance will then travel to meet with Yularen, Thrawn, Car’das, and Jan Dodonna, in order to try to get him onto their side. Whether they will succeed or not is anyone’s guess. Hey, I have to tell you guys that I will not be able to update my story for at least a few days, as I’ve got homework and my job to worry about for the weekend. I’ll write when I can, but it might be a while. Oh, before I forget, we’ll be seeing Vlad again. May the Force and Iluvatar be with us on January 26, 2018, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	15. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone! Surprised to see me writing on January 27, 2018, as I said that I would be busy with work and homework over the weekend? Well, you shouldn’t be, as I found a few hours to write tonight after doing some homework. Anyway, how are you doing, and what fanfictions have you read since I last saw you, as I am always on the lookout for more great stories? By the way, speaking of great stories, I saw the movie 12 Strong yesterday with my father after volunteering and handling a couple of errands, and, let me tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie due to a variety of reasons, the most prominent of which is how it portrays the heroic Americans and Northern Alliance soldiers that were under General Dostum’s command, who fought against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in order to liberate Afghanistan from their tyrannical rule. I was hesitant to tell you guys of this because I didn’t want to draw undue attention on myself, but I realized that I shouldn’t be ashamed of liking a good and patriotic movie. How you feel about the movie is up to you, but, as the old saying goes, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” So, back to my fanfiction. I’ll have this chapter deal with the Second Chance’s escape from the Tython System, and deal with Arden Lyn’s defection to the Shadow Alliance, as well as Yularen’s message for a rendezvous at Brelor. May the Force and Iluvatar be with us all.

_Ten Minutes Later_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

“Well, if this doesn’t take me back to my days a young freelancing mercenary.” Akuu nostalgically said as he struggled to outmaneuver the sixteen V-Wings, twelve TIE Fighters, and repurposed Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor that was being piloted by High Inquisitor Halmere in order to drive the Second Chance to the Imperial Star Destroyer that was under Colonel Wullf Yularen’s command, in order to capture it, its passengers, and its recently acquired cargo of a Celestial-killing dagger.

 

“ _Cut the chatter, Mandalorian! We’ve got three TIE’s closing in on our starboard flank, and Halmere’s leading them, so we could use some support over here._ ” Arden shouted as she blasted away at the four Imperial starfighters, blasting two TIE Fighters into oblivion, while the two remaining fighters nimbly avoided the turbolaser blasts.

 

“Hang on, everyone. We’ve got a dozen bogeys closing in from the front. Concussion missiles away!” Tau shouted as he launched a salvo of future-based Arakyd ST2 concussion missiles at the pursuing twelve V-Wings, eliminating eight of them on contact, and knocking out two others from their intended flight trajectory. The two functioning V-Wings fled the area, allowing the _Second Chance_ a chance to make a run for the outer worlds of the Tython System, where they would make the jump to hyperspace in order to escape the Deep Core.

 

All that the ship had to do now was get past the _Inquisitor_ and get out of the system within the next twenty minutes.

 

Fortunately for the Jedi and their allies, they were about to get a window of opportunity for their escape from the system from some unexpected allies.

 

 _Within the_ Inquisitor _’s Reactor Chamber_

Lieutenant Pter Nyklas, soon to be promoted to the captain of the newly-commissioned Star Destroyer _Flanchard_ , was bored out of his mind, as he should have been on the bridge of the _Inquisitor_ , where he could gain the favor of Colonel Wullf Yularen in order to find himself within a higher-ranking position within the Imperial slave trade.

 

As he continued to perform a routine check on the reactor’s systems, one of his ensign technicians noticed something abnormal with the reactor’s readings, and, upon further investigation, she nervously said, “Lieutenant, I think that there’s a problem with the reactor’s energy flow. There’s… there’s a massive overload of energy in Conduit Eight!” 

 

“What does that mean, and can it be stopped?” Pter worriedly said, as he knew that this mission could either make or break his career before it truly began.

 

“If it isn’t stopped, it could take out the entire Star Destroyer.” The woman replied before she continued, saying, “Hold on, I think that if I redirect the excess power into the other conduits, the system should be restored to optimal performance.” After a minute of typing on her computer, she breathed a sigh of relief, and said, “All right. The system should-” Before she could finish her sentence, the reactor suddenly shut down, leaving a flabbergasted Nyklas alone in the near-complete dark room, which was as bleak as his career, which, if he was lucky for this massive blunder that happened under his command, he pictured ending up on a barren world that contained an Imperial listening post.

 

 _Meanwhile, In the_ Inquisitor _’s Engine Room_

“Well, I’d say that Lieutenant Nyklas is regretting his bigoted ways right about now.” Jori said in satisfaction as he and Thrawn headed up to Colonel Yularen’s private office in order to await his return in order to confirm their mission was a success.

 

“Let’s just hope that the Jedi don’t take this chance to eliminate a second Star Destroyer from the Imperial Navy.” Thrawn stoically said, as he considered all of the possible implications of this act of treason.

 

“Don’t worry, Thrawn. We made sure that the reserve power is still up, and there’s just enough power for the shields to protect them from an attack. And besides, the Jedi need to leave the system in the next eighteen minutes before the _Sovereign_ arrives to cut off their only way of escape.” Jori reassuringly said to his friend, which made Thrawn grateful that the information spymaster wasn’t leaving everything to chance.

 

 _Back On The_ Second Chance

 

“Hey, guys! I think we’ve got our window out of the Tython System. According to the ship’s sensors, the _Inquisitor_ ’s reactor is all but shut down, so we’d better get moving before Sidious’s fleet arrives to cut us off.”  Nagme said from her seat in the _Second Chance_ ’s cockpit.

 

“Well, then, we’d better make a run for it, because Halmere and his remaining fighters are coming around from 180 degrees.” Celebion said from his gunner’s position.

 

“Akuu, put all power into the thrusters. Arnine, start plotting a course for the Empress Teta System. Everyone else, hold onto something, because it’s about to get rough.” Tau ordered into the ship’s intercom, and the YT-1300 Light Freighter accelerated at triple its average speed, which quickly made its way out of the _Inquisitor_ ’s range, and, after three minutes of calculations from the R9 astromech droid, the Second Chance made their way into hyperspace, leaving the two Star Destroyers alone without anything to show for their efforts, as Captain Ozzel failed to capture the sole remaining Knights of Olpaka’s shuttle, which left both Ozzel and Yularen alone to pray to whatever power they believed in to survive this debacle.

 

_Three Hours Later_

_Onboard the_ Inquisitor

 

Colonel Wullf Yularen looked on with an equal mixture of disgust, pity, and relief upon seeing the holographic form of Lord Vader strangle Captain Ozzel and Lieutenant Nyklas via use of the Force for their failures in this mission. As he witnessed this dual display of cold-blooded murder, he hoped that his treasonous act would not be uncovered, not only for his sake, but for the sake of his fellow conspirators, as they did not deserve to be killed for his transgressions.

 

It was after the Lieutenant’s corpse fell to the ground after a minute of resistance that Emperor Palpatine spoke to Yularen, and he menacingly said, “I trust that you have a plan to replace the loss of three of our best servants, Colonel, as well as stop Tau from gaining access to our most vital secrets. Otherwise, I fear that I cannot protect you from Lord Vader’s wrath.”

 

Immediately recovering from the grisly display that he had witnessed, as well as the obvious threat, Yularen dutifully replied, saying, “I’ve already alerted Imperial High Command to lock out Arden Lyn from all access to the system, and I intend to go to Brelor in order to convince our retired general to come back into the Navy, as I feel that his starfighter and naval expertise will be needed in order to help us prepare for this new threat. In addition, I’ll begin instituting a draft from all of our recruitment facilities, and order a full ramp up of all of our _beskar_ production facilities on Mandalore.”

 

“ _Very good, Colonel. Take the_ Inquisitor _, and head to Brelor at once. High Inquisitor Halmere will return with me to Imperial Center in order to give me a full report of the mission. Contact me once you have acquired the general’s loyalty._ ” Palpatine said, pleased that one of his most effective servants was still of great use for him, while Yularen was just grateful that he had survived this disaster in one piece. The Emperor then ended the transmission, allowing him a chance to breathe a sigh of relief at living even a single day longer.

 

He then ordered the helms to plot a course to the Commenor System, and, knowing that it would take at least three days to arrive at Brelor, he left to enter his personal office. Once he entered, he activated the personal white noise machine that he was carrying, and said to the two people that were sitting at the desk behind him, “Did you do it?”

 

“We sent the burst transmission just as you instructed, Colonel.” Thrawn loyally replied, while Car’das simply nodded at the older man.

 

“Good. The Emperor has given me leeway to try and recruit General Dodonna back to the Imperial ranks, which gives us a chance to find out whether or not he was telling us the truth about the Jedi and Yuuzhan Vong.” Yularen satisfactorily said as he headed to his cabin in order to rest after this mentally challenging day.

 

_Meanwhile, In the Empress Teta System_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

“Well, Ahsoka, what do you guys think of Yularen’s offer, as you served with him during the Clone War, so you have the best chance of knowing whether or not this is a trap?” Tau said as he examined the burst transmission that was sent to the Second Chance during its escape from Tython.

 

The transmission read:

 

_I want to learn the truth about your involvement with the Yuuzhan Vong, and the origins of Tau Palpatine. Meet me in the Commenor System in three days, at General Dodonna’s moon of Brelor, where my associates and I will speak with you._

_Wullf Yularen._

“Honestly, I don’t know, Tau. I know that Yularen was a man of honor and integrity during the Clone War, but he was always a strong supporter of Sidious, and is now one of his best men in the ISB, so, the odds are high that he’s trying to lure us into a trap in a misguided belief that he is serving the galaxy’s best interests.” Ahsoka measuredly said as she weighed both sides of the dilemma in front of them. She then sighed in defeat, saying, “It’s a shame that we don’t have any contacts in the Commenor System, or we could find out whether or not Yularen’s telling the truth.”

 

As soon as Ahsoka stopped speaking, Tau just remembered an important piece of information of his list of potential allies that he nearly forgot about, and he cautiously said to Ahsoka, “That may not be entirely true, Ahsoka. I know a guy who _may_ be willing to help us if Yularen’s offer turns out to be a double-cross.”

 

Ahsoka’s interest was piqued at Tau’s words, as well as his care in saying that he might have a potential ally in the Commenor System, and she said, “Who is it?”

 

“‘It’ is a he, and he’s the leader of an exiled clan of Mandalorians who goes by the name of Kal Skirata. He was an instructor and sergeant in the GAR’s Special Operations Brigade who adopted a number of Clone Commandos and ARC Troopers as his sons before they deserted the Republic during Order Sixty-Six.” Tau hesitatingly said, which raised Ahsoka’s hopes up.

 

“So he’s no friend of the Empire, that’s good. Then what’s the problem? If he wants us to pay him for his time, I can ask Senator Oragna to-” Ahsoka began to propose before she was interrupted by Tau.

 

“No. Money isn’t the issue, Ahsoka. He and his clan are trillionaires through inheritance from one of their _Cuy'val Dar_ allies, his sons hacked into trillions of Republic accounts in order to gain even more funds, and they won millions, maybe billions, of credits from lotteries from a Jedi Master that could see the future, so money’s not the issue. No, the problem is that he hates most of the Jedi Order of your time for its subservience to a corrupt Republic, and the use of the clones, which Kal considered to nothing more than using a slave army for expedience. He especially hates Quinlan Vos for his lack of trust in the clones, so don’t bring it up with him if he mentions him. And, he doesn’t like Viridian for his disdain of the Clones after Order Sixty-Six.” Tau explained to his Togruta friend. 

 

“Well, I can’t say that I blame him for hating the Order, or not liking Master Vos and Viridian. But, if that’s the case, how are we going to get him to help us?” Ahsoka said, despondent that Tau’s lead turned out to be another dead end.

 

“By me calling in a favor with him.” Tau said as he turned to face Arnine, who was patiently watching the two friends converse on their next move. “Arnine, use the frequency that Darman gave us to contact Kal on Commenor. Tell him that I need to speak to his _buir_ at once for a chance to return the favor that he owes me.” The astromech droid dutifully complied as he rolled away to the ship’s cockpit in order to contact the Mandalorian clan leader. Getting up from his bed in order to follow Arnine, he motioned for Ahsoka to follow him, and, as the two friends went to the main hall, he said, “During my last mission with Viridian and the others on Coruscant, we helped two Clone Commandos desert the Empire by faking their deaths, and, in return for our help, Darman, one of the two clones, gave me a frequency to use if he needed to help return the favor in any way.”

 

“Okay? Well, how do you think the others will respond when they’re talking to a Mandalorian that hates Jedi, while six of us are, or were, Jedi in one point of our lives?” Ahsoka worriedly said as they approached the main hall of the Second Chance, where Celebion was beginning to sing one of his best songs from Arda, “The Greatest Adventure”.

 

_The greatest adventure is what lies ahead,_

_Today and Tomorrow are yet to be said_

_The chances the changes are all yours to make_

_The mold of your life is in your hands to break._

_The greatest adventure is there if you're bold_

_Let go of the moment that life makes you hold_

_To measure the meaning can make you delay_

_It's time you stop thinking and wasting the day._

_A man who's a dreamer and never takes leave_

_Who thinks of a world that is just make believe_

_Will never know passion_

_Will never know pain_

_Who sits by the window_

_Will one day see rain._

_The greatest adventure is what lies ahead_

_Today and tomorrow are yet to me said_

_The chances the changes are all yours to make_

_The mold of your life is in your hands to break._

 

Once the Dunedain Ranger ended his song, the rest of his friends, as well as their newest ally, Arden Lyn, clapped in approval of this joyous song.

 

As soon as the applause died down, Tau whispered to his conspirator, “We’ll find out soon enough, because I’m including two more people in this conversation for now.” He then turned to Akuu, and said, “Akuu, General Kota, can we have a word with you guys?”

 

Akuu and Rahm, noticing the urgent look in his friend and leader’s eyes, nodded in acquiesce, and followed Ahsoka and Tau to the ship’s cockpit, where they came across a working Arnine, who was working to contact Clan Skirata on Commenor. Akuu, knowing that Tau had a scheme on his sleeve, said, “Okay, what are you two lovebirds up to?”

 

After a brief sputtering from the two Force Users in embarrassment, Tau said, “I need your help for getting Kal Skirata and his boys to do some research into this message that Colonel Yularen sent us during our escape from Tython. I was hoping that, since in this point in time, you’re an up-and-coming Mandalorian mercenary, he might be more willing to help you if he won’t honor the favor that we owe him.”

 

Once he took a moment to realize just what Tau had in mind, Akuu said, “What was the message that you want Kal to look into?”

 

“It was about Yularen wanting to know the truth about the Jedi’s involvement with the Yuuzhan Vong.” Tau said before he continued in order to keep Rahm from bursting in anger at what he perceived as an obvious trap, saying, “Look, I suspect it to be a trap, but, the fact of the matter is that we need to know if Yularen’s telling the truth. If he is, then this could be our chance to have a genuine mole in Sidious’s inner circle. And, if he isn’t, then we can always take him out, weakening Sidious’s empire by removing a brilliant officer from his ranks. General, I’m going to have to ask you to keep quiet and out of sight, as Kal wouldn’t like you for your former distaste of Clone Troopers.”

 

As Rahm obliged his comrade, it was then that Arnine announced in Droidspeak that he had connected with Kal Skirata, and the image of the grizzled Mandalorian veteran in grey Mandalorian armor appeared, who then gruffly said, “ _Well, you finally decided to call in that favor for rescuing Darman and Niner from the Emperor’s clutches. Well, get to it,_ Jedi _, what do you need?”_

 

“A pleasure to meet you, too, Skirata.” Tau sarcastically said before he turned serious, saying, “I need Jaing’s help for slicing into Colonel Wullf Yularen’s personal Star Destoyer, the _Inquisitor_ , which is on its way to Commenor for a meeting with me and my ship’s crew, in order to figure out if his offer to parlay is genuine or not.”

 

“ _Okay, what kind of trouble have you and your Jedi friends been up to since Coruscant that you’ve got one of the leaders of the ISB hounding you?!?_ ” Kal disbelievingly said, as he was both astounded and impressed with the Jedi’s boldness in such a favor.

 

“Don’t worry, I’m sending you a recorded meeting between Sidious and his inner circle on the reason for Yularen arranging a meeting between us. And, if it isn’t too much to ask, can you and your boys provide support in case this does turn out to be a trap. And, before you say ‘no’, if you do this, then I’ll owe you a big favor, which I can pay, and is rare for a Jedi to do to an enemy culture.” Tau said as he motioned for Arnine to send the meeting where Sidious revealed his descendant’s existence to his Joint Chiefs and Ruling Council, which the astromech loyally did so with blunt efficiency.

 

“ _A Jedi willing to owe me a big favor. I don’t know if you’re a gift or curse from the_ manda.” Kal said as he measured the young Jedi through the Holonet, and turned to see Ahsoka, which made him say, “ _Is that your girlfriend, because I’m surprised that you would date a former Padawan after she left the Order once the Council betrayed her to that bloodthirsty massiff known as Tarkin?_ ”

 

“Honestly, I don’t know what we are right now.” Tau honestly said after he chuckled in embarrassment at everyone asking that.

 

“ _Well, I’ll give you points for honesty. All right. The message came through. If this information is worth my while, then you’ll owe me a favor. You’ll hear from me and my boys when you reach Commenor. Good luck, Jedi._ ” Kal said as he closed the Holonet link, which made Tau breathe a sigh of relief as he silently thanked Iluvatar for this series of miracles.

 

“Well, that could have been worse. Thanks for staying in the background, Master Kota, as it could have been much more difficult to sell that if you showed yourself just yet.” Tau said in gratitude to the older Jedi as he stood up from his seat, and said, “Well, we’d better alert the others about our next trip, once the ship finishes refueling, of course.”

 

The five friends then moved to the main hall, where Arden was talking, which made the rest of the crew appear despondent at her finished tale.

 

“What’s wrong?” Tau said, worried about the morale of his friends due to the reformed Emperor’s Hand’s words.

 

“Nothing, Tau. The others were just listening to my meeting with the ghost of Xendor during my time on Mortis’s Well of the Dark Side, and how he healed my fractured mind.” Arden simply said, which shocked Tau and Ahsoka, as they knew of the Well, and they did not expect her to find anything good there.

 

“Maybe it would be best if you told us what happened, from the beginning.” Ahsoka suggested, which Arden agreed to, as she saw a chance to move past the awkward moment between the group.

 

_One Hour Later_

_In Hyperspace, En Route to the Commenor System_

 

Tau was deep in thought, which was typical for him, as, like his genetic brother, Edaan Palpatine, he was a very intelligent and thoughtful person. He was considering whether or not the ancient Jedi Order around Xendor’s time should have considered some of his proposals, as Arden’s sad story of seeing her dead love, the Dark Jedi Xendor, appeared to her during her journey through the Son’s mansion, and spoke to her.

 

He told her of how Sidious could never resurrect his spirit, convinced her to disavow her allegiance to the Dark Side, as she had a greater purpose in protecting the galaxy alonside the growing Shadow Alliance, and how she would find love again in the forms of a Jedi who was broken as she was. The most heartbreaking of what the Dark Jedi leader had said was how he would always love her, but that she had to let her go, as her soul deserved better than to wallow in despair and vengeance for the remainder of her life. It was why Tau was using Edaan’s holocron in order to read Arden’s debreifing about the First Great Jedi Schism, in order to see if the Jedi Order back then was as arrogant and controlling as it was during many periods of its twenty-five thousand year history.

 

“Is sitting in your room while reading about relevant history common for you, Tau, because if it is, then I might have to come back another time.” Ahsoka suddenly said as she stepped into Tau’s cabin, which caught the Jedi Knight off guard, and he yelped in shock, which made Ahsoka giggle at his awkwardness.

 

Once Tau regained control of his emotions, he said, “Is there something that you wanted to talk about, Ahsoka, or are you just here to spy on me while I do some research on the potential sins of the Jedi Order from its earliest days?”

 

“Actually, I did want to talk about something.” Ahsoka nervously said as she entered the cabin, which intruiged Tau, and he deactivated and put aside his brother’s holocron, and she sat down next to him. She then suddenly said, “Do you have feelings for me?”

 

Not expecting this question in the slightest, Tau, in an effort to buy time to come up with a genuine answer, said, “Do you have feelings for me?”

 

“I think so, Tau, which makes this my third boy that I have feelings for.” Ahsoka admitted to Tau as she remembered her first two boys that she developed an attraction to: Imperial Senator and secret rebel Lux Bonteri, her first love during the Clone War that chose fellow Onderonian and Rebel leader Steela Gerrera over her before her death due to a Separatist Gunship; and Nyx Okami, a resident of the Coruscant underworld who helped her foil several criminal schemes before he left her after he found out that she was a former Jedi, who he resented for her role in the Clone War.

 

“Well, Ahsoka, since you were son honest with your emotions, I see no reason to be dishonest with you here. Yes, I do have feelings for you.” Tau said as he bore his heart out to the young woman that, despite meeting less than two weeks ago, he cared very much about. He then continued, bashfully saying, “But, unlike you, I’ve never had feelings for anyone else before, which makes you my first love, which is kind of sweet, if sappy.”

 

“Well, I guess that I’m honored, Tau.” Ahsoka said, relieved that her feelings were reciprocated. She then said, “Do you think that… well, we could be more than friends?”

 

“I think that it is worth a shot, Ahsoka, as we both have lost people close to us, and we both have many similarites and differences. We both know that it wouldn’t be easy, but I think that it would be worth it, but, only if we’re both willing to commit. Are you, Ahsoka, as we won’t get much time together after we gather our allies, as we’re going to be managing two wars at the same time?” Tau carefully said while explaining the challenges between them if they decided to commit to each other.

 

“I would, Tau, because I don’t want to lose anyone else to the Sith, and, if I’m being honest with myself, I would like someone close to confide in as a lover.” Ahsoka tenderly said before she realized her last word, and quickly backtracked, saying, “But- not as ‘lovers’ lovers, I mean as two people who are dating each other.”

 

Tau laughed at Ahsoka’s nervousness, and said in good humor, “Don’t worry, I have no intention of having sex, or making love, as that’s more romantic, with you unless we’re married.”

 

“What, is it against Iluvatar’s will to have intercourse with someone unless they’re married?” Ahsoka joked, even though she already knew the answer.

 

“Come on, Ahsoka, of course it is. All kidding aside, Viridian and Edaan taught me that sex is supposed to be a sacred act of committing oneself in body to the love of your life, and that it should not be taken lightly for many, many, _many_ reasons.” Tau said as he explained his stance on premarital sex to Ahsoka, who nodded in understanding.

 

“I get that, Tau. But, there is one thing that I do want to do with you.” Ahsoka said before she suddenly grabbed Tau’s face, and kissed his lips with a gentle but passionate touch, which set Tau into a daze as she slowly pulled away, muttering, “ _Stang_ , that felt so good.”

 

“Cursing as you kiss people, what will the galaxy think of Ahsoka Tano if they saw her now.” Tau said as he yawned in exhuastion. He then laid down, and Ahsoka followed suit, with him asking, “Arden took your bunk, and you want to sleep with me?”

 

“Got in one, Tau. Good night.” Ahsoka said as she drifted off to sleep next to her new boyfriend, while Tau gently looked at Ahsoka, and prayed to Iluvatar that he could protect her for as long as he could before he slowly drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends another great chapter of my story. What did you guys think, and, as always, be honest, but constructive. I know that I said that this chapter would be done in over two days, but I got a bunch of homework done, and still had enough free time on my hands to write. How awesome is that? Anyway, I assume that you have a bunch of questions for me, but, don’t worry, I will answer them as the story progresses, which will take place on the moon of Brelor for the next several chapters, as our heroes have a lot of work to do to get some much needed help, muscle, and funds. Well, I guess that that’s it for tonight, which is January 28, 2018. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	16. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone! How are you doing on the afternoon of January 29, 2018? I’m doing well, as I did some homework earlier today, and now have a bunch of time to write my greatest story yet, as it is the most ambitious story that I have written in my near-two years of writing fanfiction. So, I imagine that you have a bunch of questions on my previous chapter. But, don’t worry, starting now, they will begin to be answered. Well, I’d better get to writing, as I only have eight hours left in my day before I need to get some sleep for school tomorrow. Wish me luck.

_Three Days Later_

_In the Comennor System_

_In Orbit Above Folor_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

As Ahsoka watched her new boyfriend dodge and deflect a series of stun blasts from five training remotes that were programmed to help Tau hone his reflexes, she noticed Arden walk by, examining her new prosthetic arm that, to the untrained eye, appeared to be an ordinary limb, but was instead a cybernetic arm that Jarael installed onto Arden so that she could blend into the galactic crowd easier.

 

In an effort to pass the time, and to test her new comrade’s ability as a fighter to see how she could contribute to the Shadow Alliance, she said, “So, Arden? After Tau’s done with his training session, you want to go for a bout?”

 

“Oh. I’m not sure if that’s a good idea, Ahsoka. I’m sure that you’re an excellent fighter, but I spent decades as a Follower of Palawa, a master of Teräs Käsi, and I took down my fair share of enemies with nothing but the Force and my body.” Arden cautiously said, not wanting to offend the Togruta Rebel spymaster.

 

Contrary to her suspicions, Arden’s words did not offend Ahsoka at all, and it only encouraged her to fight the former Dark Jedi. She then said, “I know that you’re the better fighter, Arden. That’s why I want to fight you, as I can only improve myself by challenging the best, and you’re possibly the best master of unarmed combat on this ship.”

 

Before Arden could further protest her younger friend’s desire to fight, Tau suddenly ended his training session, and he said, “Just fight her, Arden. Otherwise, she’ll never stop bugging you, and, she might think that you’re afraid to face her, which will boost her ego.”

 

“Hey!” Ahsoka said in mock offense at her boyfriend’s attempts at a joke, which made Arden chuckle at the banter between the new couple.

 

“All right. If only to keep Ahsoka from getting arrogant.” Arden said, playing along with Tau’s joke, and headed to the center of the main hall, where Ahsoka followed her, and Tau left to the couch in order to observe the match between the two former Jedi.

 

The two women then took their respective fighting positions, and Ahsoka decided to make the first move. She jumped at Arden, and struck at her head with her legs, which Arden nimbly dodged as she ducked to the ground, and then punched Ahsoka in the gut in order to knock the air out of her lungs, and making her fall to the hard floor of the ship. Before Arden could pin her opponent to the ground, the younger woman rolled out of the way and kicked at her sides, making Arden wince in pain as Ahsoka made a series of jabs at Arden’s limbs and center. Unfortunately for Ahsoka, Arden used her new prosthetic arm to block Ahsoka’s jabs at her head, which gave her an opening to use her superior command of marital artsto punch several of Ahsoka’s pressure points, which made her limbs feel like jelly as she fell to the ground in defeat.

 

Tau then rushed to Ahsoka’s side in order to carry her to the couch, where she could sit, and said to her in sympathy, “Well, I’ve got to give you credit. You did do a pretty good job against her, Ahsoka.”

 

“Indeed, Ahsoka. You did much better than a majority of my opponents, and I’ve fought _a lot_ of people in my time.” Arden said in concurrence to her friend. She then said in encouragement to her former opponent, “Don’t worry, Ahsoka. You’re younger than me, so, with a bit more practice, and learning a variety of additional skills, you’ll get much better over time. Given enough time, you could even surpass me in skill.”

 

“Well, that’s high praise from such a master of fighting.” Ahsoka graciously said as she began to regain feeling in her body, and slowly stood up from her seat. She then saw Akuu coming to them from the ship’s cockpit, and she noticed the grim look in his eyes, which implied that something was wrong. She then said, “What happened. Did Kal back out of the deal?” Both she and Tau were then worried that their failsafe in the event that Yularen would turn out to betray them to Sidious would leave them when he found out that Tau was a future descendant of the most ruthless and infamous Sith Lord in modern history, and the falsified story that he and his Jedi were working with the Yuuzhan Vong.

 

“No, he’s still in. But, he is demanding that we provide him with the full story, or he’ll try to turn us into gloves like he did to Ko Sai.” Akuu nervously said before he continued, saying, “What I was going to tell you was that the _Inquisitor_ has arrived in system, and Yularen’s personal shuttle is heading to Brelor to meet General Dodonna, so we’d better contact Kal and his boys so that we all can get moving.”

 

“Well, I guess that we’d better tell the others of our second meeting in a month.” Tau enthusiastically said in an effort to hide his anxiety of facing down one of the most vicious Mandalorians in all of history. “Contact Kal on a secure channel, and ask him and his family to meet us at Dodonna’s residence. If anyone needs me, I’ll be praying to Iluvatar for our safety in this meeting.” The four friends then went to their respective positions on the _Second Chance_ , and the ship then approached the moon of Brelor, where they would begin a meeting that would determine whether or not the Shadow Alliance would gain several much-needed allies in their struggle to overthrow the Sith from control of the Galactic Empire.

 

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_At Jan Dodonna’s Private Residence of Brelor_

 

Jan Dodanna was quite concerned about this meeting that he was hosting at the request of one of his dwindling list of friends within the Galactic Empire with Jedi and several of their insurgents. Privately, he feared that Colonel Yularen was trying to coerce him into returning to the Imperial service, despite his desire to remain retired after he was allowed to leave the Imperial Navy once the Western Reaches Operations were completed. But, he kept these thoughts to himself, and, as he mentally recalled all of the escape routes that he had planned in the even that someone would try to kill him and his teenage son, Vrad, Yularen’s shuttle began to land, and the grey-haired ISB colonel exited the shuttle with a human that Jan barely recognized as Jori Car’das, a former smuggler-turned information broker that served the Republic during its final years, and a blue-skinned male individual in an naval captain’s uniform, who, at first glance, Jan assumed to be a Pantoran. However, upon closer inspection, he noticed that the man had pure red eyes, which made Jan question just which species the mysterious man belonged to, and who vouched for him in an increasingly humanocentric.

 

Snapping himself out of his reflection, he stepped forward to greet his old friend, and said, “Wullf!! It’s been too long. Would any you like a drink? I have some Alderaanian nectar in storage, or some Corellian ale if that’s more of your fancy.”

 

“Thank you, Jan, but, as you know, we’re here on business. I’ll have to decline until we finish our discussion with the rest of our guests, if they arrive.” Yularen said in gracious decline of his friend’s hospitality. He then noticed two shuttles approaching, one of which was a YT-1300 light freighter, and then said, “And, it looks like our guests have arrived.”

 

“I thought that you said that only a single CEC ship would be coming here, Wullf. What’s with the Sheathipede shuttle coming in behind them?” Jan skeptically said.

 

“I confess that I am at as much a loss as you are, Jan. My best guess is that our guests do not trust my word, and brought extra security in case I try to arrest them.” Yularen replied to his Clone War comrade, while motioning for Thrawn to keep the _Inquisitor_ on standby unless alerted otherwise. 

 

As the two ships landed, the occupants of each ship exited the ship, and Yularen was shocked at who was exiting the Sheathipede shuttle, two of the Mandalorian sergeants and deserters from the Grand Army of the Republic, Kal Skirata and Walon Vau, as well as several renegade Clone Troopers in Mandalorian armor, and Bardan Jusik, a former Jedi Knight who resigned from the Order at the height of the Clone War, and embraced the Mandalorian culture as his own. The ISB colonel resisted the urge to raise his blaster in defense of himself, as he knew that any aggressive moves would more than likely result in his death.

 

As the CEC ship’s boarding ramp opened up, Tau Palpatine walked out of the ship in ancient Jedi combat armor that was painted several different colors, and was followed by Ahsoka Tano, Rahm Kota, A’Sharad Hett, the rogue Inquisitor Gallies, defecting Emperor’s Hand Arden Lyn, as well as an R-Series astromech droid, a human man and woman, an Iskalloni woman, a hound of a species that Yularen did not recognize, and an Anzati male in Mandalorian armor.

 

***

 

As Tau examined the area, he noticed the suspicious glares that Kal, Walon, and most of his adopted sons were understandingly giving him, and saw Darman and Niner giving him silent nods of support, which Tau returned in gratitude. Once he turned to observe Yularen and his escort and host, and froze on the spot upon seeing the Chiss Imperial Captain standing behind Yularen, immediately recognizing the captain as the man who would eventually become Grand Admiral Thrawn, the greatest military mind in the Empire, and who was one of the greatest, if not the best, military leader in the history of the entire galaxy.

 

Sensing the awe and fear emanating from her boyfriend, Ahsoka put a hand on his shoulder in support, and said, “Tau, what’s wrong?”

 

Snapping out of his fear-induced daze, he whispered, “Th-the Chiss captain behind Yularen… I know who that man is. His full name is Mitth'raw'nuruodo, and he is perhaps the most brilliant man in the entire history of the galaxy.”

 

Ahsoka appeared shocked at this sudden declaration on Tau’s part, and looked at the Chiss with worry in her eyes. “What do you think we should do?”

 

Forcing himself to let go of the fear that was coursing through his very soul at this moment, he grimly said, “We proceed as planned. If worst comes to worst, we’ll just have to kill them, as we cannot afford to have Thrawn hunting us.”

 

As Ahsoka numbly nodded at Tau’s fearful decision, she could only nod in response, and hoped that it wouldn’t have to come to that.

 

As the eleven members of the _Second Chance_ approached Yularen and Kal, Yularen cordially said, “Well, Jedi Palpatine, you certainly keep interesting company. I did not think that you were friends with Kal Skirata and his group.”

 

“Actually, Colonel, we’re not friends. Kal just owes me a favor, and it was a stroke of luck that he and his clan were in the same system as General Dodonna. I do hope to earn his respect, though.” Tau clarified in an attempt to move past his fear of Thrawn, and earn some honesty points with Kal.

 

“Don’t count on it, Tau.” Kal gruffly said as he rolled his eyes at what he perceived at a Jedi’s attempt to get his services as a mercenary.

 

Dodonna, not wanting to have someone’s ship come near his house and find the twenty-two guests standing outside his home and investigate what was going on, coughed loudly in order to get everyone’s attention, and, once everyone turned to face him, he said, “Sorry to interrupt, but I don’t want anyone else to see you guys, as they might think that some big conspiracy is going on. So, could we move this discussion into my house, as I imagine that it will take at least a few days for us to learn if the Emperor was telling the truth about you and your crew, Jedi Palpatine?”

 

Tau then graciously nodded, and respectfully said, “Of course, General. Just lead the way.” With that said, the twenty-two people followed Dodonna into his large home, and each of the three groups went into what Tau assumed to be the home’s family room, that had enough seats to accommodate everyone.

 

Once everyone was settled in, Yularen began this clandestine meeting by saying, “Thank you for meeting with me, Jedi Palpatine. I wasn’t sure if you would accept my invitation to Jan’s home, but I had to try, as I have so many questions for you that I feel that only you can answer.”

 

“Of course, Colonel Yularen. I look forward to explaining my origins to you, and the threats that the galaxy faces, which are far worse than just the Yuuzhan Vong. And, call me Tau.” Tau politely said, before suddenly saying to Thrawn, “What did Colonel Yularen tell you of my ancestor’s meeting with Imperial High Command, Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo?”

 

At the mention of such a top-secret meeting within the Jedi Order’s former seat of galactic power being known to the Jedi and their allies, Yularen immediately thought that there was a second traitor within the Empire’s highest echelons of power. But, before he could do so, Akuu said, “Rancit didn’t tell us of the meeting, we had bugs placed within the Temple in order to stay one step ahead of the Emperor’s movements when we infiltrated it a few months ago.”

 

This information simultaneously relieved and infuriated Yularen, for he was glad that Rancit was the only traitor within Imperial High Command, but, at the same time, angered that the Jedi managed to exceed him in the game of intelligence gathering.

 

Thrawn then astutely concluded, “Judging by how you knew my full name without any introduction, it appears that there might be some truth to the Emperor’s claims of you being from the future after all, Jedi Palpatine.” Thrawn then curiously continued, saying, “Which leads me to wonder what else he was telling the truth about.”

 

“We’ll get to that later. But, first, I have something to show all of you.” Tau said as he pulled out his brother’s holocron from his satchel, which intrigued Bardan and Yularen, as both of them recognized the item from their time serving with the Jedi Order. Tau continued to speak, saying, “This is the holocron of my brother, Edaan Palpatine. It contains all of his wisdom and experiences from his time in his Jedi Order, which is much different from the Order that most of you are familiar with.”

 

“How is your order different than this one, Jedi Palpatine?” Dodonna asked, curious as to where Tau was going with this line of thought.

 

“Well, for starters, the Order of my time allows its members to form families without any repercussions, it takes in members from all ages, as well as all walks of life, and it is independent from all galactic powers, allowing it to help beings beyond the successor to the Old Republic.” Tau academically explained to the assembled guests. Knowing that Kal or Walon would say something scathing in response to his picture-perfect image of his Jedi Order, he continued, saying, “Oh, don’t get me wrong, the leaders of my Jedi Order have made their fair share of mistakes, and there have been a few fallen Jedi rising from their ranks. But, in my opinion, they’ve acted with much better judgment than the Jedi of this time, because, for starters, they don’t use slave armies to fight the government’s battles. And, they’ve had to deal with wars and crises cropping up in almost immediate succession for over forty years since its founding, so they’re a bit hardened, much like you two.”

 

“Thanks for comparing us to some holier-than-thou monks, Palpatine.” Walon sarcastically said, which Tau ignored, as he knew what was coming next.

 

“Anyway, the Jedi Order in my time played a crucial role in stopping the Yuuzhan Vong from conquering our galaxy, and forced them into exile on a world in the Unknown Regions.” Tau said, ready to get to the heart of the meeting.

 

The last sentence immediately caught both the Imperials and Mandalorians’ attention, and, sensing that he had them right where he wanted, Tau continued, saying to Thrawn, “I know that your people faced a scout force of Yuuzhan Vong at Vun’Hanna and the Twilight Void, which is why you agreed to my ancestor’s proposal to destroy Outbound Flight before it could reach the known galaxy, which would put it in crossroads with the Yuuzhan Vong’s main fleet, and accelerate their invasion by years, perhaps decades.”

 

Once Tau finished his sentence, Rahm, A’Sharad, Jan, and Ahsoka pulled out their weapons in rage over finding out that one of the Imperials sitting in front of them was responsible for the deaths of eighteen Jedi and fifty thousand civilians, and aimed them at Thrawn, while Yularen looked on in horror on learning this fact about a man who prided himself on acting with complete honor and integrity.

 

Thrawn then calmly said in reply, “I know that you have a good reason for telling them why I played a role in incapacitating Outbound Flight, even though I gave no orders for its destruction.” This sentence partially mollified the Jedi and military minds, who then motioned for the Chiss to continue, saying, “When I was a commander in the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force, my fleet came across a Trade Federation fleet that was dispatched on the orders of a Sith Lord by the name of ‘Darth Sidious’, who just so happens to be the Emperor, to destroy Outbound Flight before it could exit the Unknown Regions. Under my command, the fleet was reduced to one Lucrehulk battleship, and I met with its commanders, Vicelord Siv Kav of the Trade Federation fleet, and a man who went by the alias of ‘Stratis.’ Tell me, Tau, do you know who the latter is?” Thrawn explained, before stopping his reflection in order to test the younger man’s intellect and claims.

 

“Yes. His real name was Kinman Doriana, an advisor for Palpatine from as before his time as the Chommell Sector’s Senator, and, simultaneously an agent for Darth Sidious, all the while not knowing that Sidious and Palpatine were one and the same until Sidious became ruler of the Empire.” Tau explained, leaving everyone but Thrawn in a state of shock, as they wondered just how many people that they assumed to be honorable individuals within the Old Republic were actually spies for the Sith. Knowing that things would only grow more uncomfortable from the revelations that would follow.

 

“Very good, Tau.” Thrawn said in commendation of Tau’s knowledge of current-confidential secrets, before he continued, saying, “When I learned of the true purpose behind the Sith’s mission, I agreed to help stop Outbound Flight from reaching the Yuuzhan Vong’s forward base in the Twilight Void.”

 

“Wait. You said ‘stop’.” Rahm said before he realized what Thrawn was implying, saying in amazement at the Chiss’s attempt to resist Sidious’s orders, “You never intended to destroy Outbound Flight, did you?” 

 

“Correct, General Kota. My plan was to use your exploration project as a ruse to eliminate one of my people’s greatest enemies, the nomadic and warlike species known as _Vagaari_ _,_ _while diplomatically convincing the Jedi to return to the known galaxy, or failing that, convince them to travel to the next galaxy from another region in space, thereby avoiding the risk of crossing paths with the Yuuzhan Vong.” Thrawn said, before Tau interrupted him._

_“He even managed to get Lorana Jinzler, Jorus C’boath’s former Padawan, to propose the altered route to the next galaxy, which would have avoided the entire massacre if it weren’t for that demented lunatic C’boath, who rejected any peaceful resolution to the impasse, and, in the battle that decimated the Vagaari’s fleets, caused him to fully embrace the Dark Side of the Force after Thawn’s surgical strikes took out most of the Jedi onboard, as well as the ships’ defenses, and tried to strangle him through the use of the Force. This prompted Doriana to use radiation bombs to eradicate almost every soul onboard Outbound Flight. Only about fifty colonists survived the purge, not including Lorana Jinzler.” Tau said, the last sentence surprising Thrawn considerable, as he did not know, or even suspect, that there were survivors of that horrific day._

 

Immediately knowing what next words he would say, as he knew that Tau would know the answer to the question, he tried to speak, but Jori beat him to it, asking, “What happened to Jinzler and the survivors? Are they still alive?”

 

“Indeed, they are, Car’das. They’re currently stranded on your Ascendancy’s Redoubt, and were rescued from their current situation thirty-seven years from now.” Tau said before he continued, sympathetically saying, “Unfortunately, there were unknown complications. Due to unknown reasons, she and another Chiss had to land Outbound Flight on the Dreadnaught that they were in in order to save the colonists, killing them both.” After taking a moment to look over Thrawn and Jori, who looked slightly shaken at the news, he sympathetically asked, “Did you two know the other person?”

 

“Yes, Tau. He was my brother, Syndic Mitth’ras’safis, also known as ‘Thrass’ to Car’das.” Thrawn said with what Tau assumed to be a hint of remorse for sending his brother to his doom.

 

“Oh.” Tau simply said before he nodded in sympathy for the Chiss officer, and turned to face Yularen, who looked aghast at the revelations that he had just learned. “I had a feeling that you did not know about my ancestor being Darth Sidious. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry to have be the one to tell you this news.”

 

Yularen was too lost in his own thoughts, as he recalled from his contacts within Republic Intelligence that the Jedi suspected that two Sith Lords, one of which was the Confederacy’s Head of State, the fallen Jedi Dooku, and an unknown Sith Lord were manipulating the Clone War for their own ends, and that, before the Battle of Coruscant, they had a team of Jedi and Clone Troopers investigating a series of leads that led them back to the Republic’s capital. He wondered just how far back Sidious’s machinations went, and he numbly said, “How could I have been so blind? The power that he was amassing in the Senate, the massive military buildup, and the subtle manipulation of the public against the Jedi, it was all a part of his master plan to take control of the entire galaxy.”

 

“Don’t blame yourself, Colonel. No one in this time was able to figure out the full scope of my ancestor’s plans, not even Kal and his beyond brilliant sons, and they could hack into anything.” Tau said in sympathy to the devastated Imperial officer, before he then said, “The question that you should be asking yourself is: What are you going to do about it?”

 

“Hold on, hold on. Before Yularen decides to join you and all of your cockamamie schemes, why don’t you tell us the real reason that you brought us all here?” Kal said, knowing what Tau was planning, but not wishing to see a decent man get involved in what he believed to be a Jedi’s grand scheme, as he had enough of those to last ten lifetimes.

 

“Thank you, Sergeant Skirata. While I find these conversations to be enlightening, we are here to discuss Sidious’s obviously false claims that the Yuuzhan Vong are allied with Tau’s Jedi Order.” Thrawn said in concurrence, glad that this conversation was getting back on track.

 

“Fair enough.” Tau conceded, motioning for Nagme to unmasque herself, revealing her true form to everyone, much to the shock of the Imperials and Mandalorians aside from Akuu, who immediately pulled out their blasters in order to kill the Extolled Yuuzhan Vong if she made any sudden movements, while Tau and his friends pulled out their weapons in order to protect their friend if anyone tried to murder her.

 

“Well, I guess that another part of Sidious’s claims are true.” Jori gravely said as he kept alert for any sign of aggression from the member of a marauding extragalactic race of invaders.

 

“Only a small part of them, Master Car’das.” Celebion said in defense of his friend before he continued, saying, “We have vital information about a number of threats that surpass both the Sith and Yuuzhan Vong, but if you even try to kill our friend, then the offer is rescinded, and we will have no choice but to defend ourselves.” He then turned to face Kal and Walon, and then said, “Sergeants, Tau told me about your honor, and how much you care for your family and fellow Mandalorians, and I admire your dedication for protecting your loved ones from all forms of evil, but if we do not join forces now, then the entire universe will fall to dark powers that you can scarcely imagine, and all that you love will be enslaved or wiped from even memory.”

 

Impressed with how dedicated the unknown man would defend his friend, who was the descendent of the most powerful Sith Lord in centuries, and his interest caught by the mention of threats greater than an Galactic Empire ruled by Sith Lords, Kal motioned for his friends to lower their blasters, with Walon, in his trademark stubbornness, being the last to lower his weapons in exasperation. He then turned to Tau, and with a patience that he had not known that he still possessed, he said, “Tell us everything about the Yuuzhan Vong, and these other ‘dark powers’ that your friend mentioned.”

 

“Deal. But, on two condition. First, you call my friend Celebion, as that’s his name.” Tau seriously said before he turned to face Dodonna, and humorously said, “Second: General, I hope it isn’t too much to ask, but can you whip up some caf for us, and tea for Celebion, as this will take quite a while to explain?”

 

“Gladly.” Jan said as he went to prepare a large batch of caf for his guests, while Tau began his tale of how he arrived seventy years from now by the first Celestial, Iluvatar, and how he helped a band of Jedi, a planet full of strange individuals, and various Imperial, Republic, and Confederate forces, repel an attack by a fallen lesser Celestial and the forces under his command, which included a sizeable fleet and army of Yuuzhan Vong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends the fifteenth chapter of my story. What did you guys think as the first chapter of the Commenor Arc, where, hopefully, our heroes will gain some much-needed help from inside and outside of the Empire? And to think, the conference between the Rebel Cells and leaders hasn’t even begun yet, and the Shadow Alliance has already dealt several blows against the Galactic Empire. Well, in other news, Iron117Prime updated his Avatar/TMNT crossover, Worlds Collide, two nights ago. And, yesterday, MandoCommander updated his latest Star Wars Rebels story with two chapters, and it was both action-packed and hilarious. Even better, DaWitcher updated his story today, on January 31, 2018, and I plan to read the long chapter soon, as I enjoy his take on The Witcher. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and, as always, there will be more to come in recent days. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	17. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone! How are you doing on this cool day of January 31, 2018? As you might expect, I’m doing excellent, as I had lunch with my mother and uncle at Red Lobster, got two books through the mail today, one for school, and one for my own personal use, and I did some homework for tomorrow, which frees me up do a bit writing for a while. So, what have you guys been up to since I last heard from you, as I enjoy hearing from my friends? I hope that you are all well, and I hope to hear from you soon. Well, let’s get on with the next chapter, as it has a lot of explanations coming up for our heroes and their soon-to-be allies (Oops, spoilers! (Laughs sarcastically.)). May the Force and Iluvatar be with our heroes in the Dark Times.

_Two Hours Later_

 

Once Tau finished his tale of his time on the Unknown Regions world of Arda, where the Celestials/Valar had poured the most attention and care into creating, Walon laughed hysterically, saying, “Oh, come on!! That is a load of pure _osik_!!! You seriously expect us to believe that the Celestials chose you, a descendant of a Sith despot, to be sent back in time in order to prepare us for the threat of traitors within their own ranks, along with their pathetic excuses for forces, as well as the Yuuzhan Vong? That’s something out of a holomovie or children’s tale, while this is real life, Tau.”

 

“It’s not a lie or joke, Walon.” Bardan numbly said, which shocked everyone with a second Mandalorian believing him, before he continued, saying, “Tau is telling the truth, about the Yuuzhan Vong, about Morgoth’s surviving disciples and their armies, and how he and the rest of his fellow Jedi met Iluvatar and his fellow Valar in the Undying Lands. I can sense pure honesty coming from him.”

 

“All right, say that you’re telling the truth about these ‘Valar’ and ‘Maia’, Tau.” Niner, one of the two Imperial Commandos from Omega Squad that Tau and his friends rescued from Coruscant a few months prior, proposed, before saying, “How in the literal galaxy are we going to kill beings that are, for all intents and purposes, karking gods?!?”

 

“Simple, Niner. We use the weapons that Aule, the smith of the Valar, gave to each of my fellow Jedi in order to kill the fallen Maia when we find them. As for me,” Tau said before he pulled out a hilt of a weapon that no one recognized, before, to the shock of everyone but Tau and his crew, a blade quickly materialized out of thin air. He then continued, saying “I have the Dagger of Mortis, the one weapon that can kill a certain Celestial if she ever escapes from her prison in the Maw Cluster.” With that said, he began to explain the origins of Abeloth, and the devastation that she unleashed upon the galaxy in his time.

 

_Thirty Minutes Later_

 

“And, that’s why Luke had ten Jedi set out in search for the Dagger of Mortis, as it’s the one weapon that has even a slim chance of killing Abeloth for good, and it was only thanks to Iluvatar revealing its location to me that my crew and I were able to retrieve it from its monolith in the Tython System.” Tau said as he then took another sip from his mug of caf, and cheerfully said to Jan, “This is excellent caf, General. What’s your secret, farm-grown ingredients?” 

 

“That’s exactly what it is, Tau.” Jan numbly said as he and the rest of his friends and associates struggled to process the latest piece of intelligence that Tau had delivered from his time: A selfish and lonely Celestial monster had, as a result of the five thousand-year war between Jedi and Sith, been unleashed upon the galaxy about fifty-six years from now, and had destroyed billions of lives across the galaxy, and forced the Jedi to temporarily join forces with not one, but two different factions of Sith. The first of these Sith being a ship full of marooned survivors from the Great Hyperspace War that formed what they called a Lost Tribe of the Sith, while the second group’s leader of the much more dangerous One Sith, which was led by a fallen A’Sharad Hett, by then self-christened as the Dread Lord of the Sith, Darth Krayt. And, even then, it wasn’t enough to fully destroy Abeloth, only wound her enough to keep her at bay for an unspecified amount of time.

 

“What are you going to hide the Dagger, Tau, as we cannot afford to have that weapon falling into anyone else’s hands if Abeloth is released?” Thrawn said, knowing that any other group would not know, or care, what to do with that weapon, and only use it for their own selfish ends.

 

“Well, we can’t keep it with my allies, as Sidious or Vader’s spies could stumble upon it, and that could doom us all. And, we can’t afford to risk the dagger being stolen or lost anywhere that could be at risk of being ransacked. I was thinking that we place it in Kallidahin Space, where the Kallidahins run a series of quarantine vaults for dangerous objects. We can place it there under a false report, like it being the source of a Force plague, and hold it there unless Abeloth’s unleashed.” Tau explained, which pleased the Imperials and Mandalorians at how far Tau had planned ahead for this event.

 

“Agreed.” Kal and Yularen said at the same time before they shared an awkward look before Kal turned to face Tau, and gravely said, “Well, are there any other threats that we need to be aware of besides Rogue Celestials, Sith, and an invading species bent on converting or exterminating us all?”

 

“Well, there are the Knights of Olpaka, an Unknown Regions-based organization of people that despise the Force in all of its forms, and are hell-bent on either eradicating it from all beings, or massacring all beings that have Force Sensitivity.” Tau said, which repulsed everyone, as, despite the problems that they might have had with Force-Sensitives in one way or another, they did not desire genocide as a solution. He then continued, saying, “We’ve already had run-ins with two of their best commanders, Vlad Karamazov III, a leading general in the Knights’ ranks who constructed a forest of dead Force-Sensitives on his castle on Olpaka, and,” Tau then paused to look at Kal and his fellow Mandalorians, and said, “someone that you guys might know, as you nicknamed him ‘Holy Roly’.”

 

“Melusar?!?” Darman said, remembering the zeal with which Melusar enjoyed killing Jedi, and how everyone in Tau and Viridian’s group killed him during their escape from Coruscant, and suddenly, their hatred for the vile man made complete sense. “What did he do to earn such a gruesome fate?” Darman asked, his curiosity piqued, despite knowing that the answer would anger him even further.

 

“He tortured and experimented on Xey for months in a concentration camp, and, in my time, he helped a renegade Imperial butcher over five thousand Force-Sensitives, along with eleven Jedi, in order to develop weapons that would eradicate the Force from a being’s cellular structure.” Tau venomously spat out, grateful that he was dead in both his timeline, and this one.

 

“Well, then that _demagolka_ got what was coming to him. Nice job showing the guts to kill that maniac.” Walon satisfactorily said, which surprised Tau until he remembered that Walon only did what he did to protect his allies and friends, which made him nod in appreciation for the harsh Mandalorian’s compliment. Walon then asked, “What about Vlad? Is that freak still around?”

 

“Yes. We ran into him on Mortis, and we were lucky that he fled the battle, otherwise, we might all be dead right now, as his power suit is the best in the Knights’ arsenal.” Tau said before he was interrupted.

 

“I’m sorry, did you just say ‘power suits’?” Jaing questioned, wondering if the Knights had suits of armor like the Clone and Stormtroopers do.

 

“Yes, Jaing, power suits. They have three different versions, and each one is far deadlier than the last.” Tau grimly said before he continued, saying, “I’ll send each of you the data that we’ve acquired on each faction once we’re done with this part of the meeting, because we’ve got two more threats to deal with.”

 

Jori then sighed in exasperation, and despondently said, “Great. What else could be wrong in this messed-up galaxy, aside from a planet of Sith, an ever-growing Empire, Celestial-related threats, and a bloodthirsty extragalactic species?”

 

“How about the entire force of both Killiks and Nephilim?” Akuu retorted, which instantly made Thrawn’s eyes shoot full alert, as he knew exactly knew who the Killiks were from his life in the Chiss Ascendancy.

 

“That makes no sense. The Killiks are a hive-minded species, and have no interest in expanding their borders beyond their domain in the Unknown Regions. What could… Who did they absorb into their mind?” Thrawn said as he remembered their ability to take other species into their hive mind as Joiners, and the subtle implications at what Tau was saying.

 

“Two of Krayt’s Sith, a Dark Jedi, and a Jedi Knight. The Jedi Knight united the various hives of Killiks in peace, but the two Sith and Dark Jedi corrupted the Killiks into an expansionist rampage before the Jedi was captured and rehabilitated over seven years, and the two Sith and Dark Jedi were killed in one way or another.” Tau said, remembering how Edaan learned about the Dark Nest Crisis, and the subsequent Swarm War that followed, through his history lessons, and how Welk, Lomi Plo, and Alema Rar were each killed over a period of five years.

 

“Okay, then we need to develop a series of defenses in case someone or something tries to stir up these bugs.” Kal said.

 

“While I agree that it would be best if we kept an eye on them, I think that it would be better for us if we alert the Chiss Ascendancy to this potential threat, as they can keep an eye on them, and warn us if anything riles them into action, as they’re the best equipped to deal with them if they begin to expand.” Tau said in response.

 

“That would be difficult, if not impossible, Tau, as you know that my people do not believe in preemptive strikes. How would you plan to acquire my people’s aid in containing the Killiks?” Thrawn questioned.

 

“Well, I was thinking that we can inform your former superior in the Chiss navy, Admiral Ar’alani, of these threats, and, with the historical data from my time, along with the sensor records of the Yuuzhan Vong, it should be enough to convince the Ascendancy’s Ruling Families to join the Shadow Alliance.” Tau explained.

 

After a moment to consider the proposal, Thrawn nodded in agreement, and said, “If the historical information and sensor data that you have is dire enough, it might convince the Ruling Families to covertly join this cause of yours. At the very least, it would be enough to put them on alert, as they take every threat quite seriously.”

 

“Good. Now, onto the final threat: the Nephilim.” Tau said as he motioned for Arnine to activate his holographic projector, and an image of the Columi-like aliens appeared, allowing Tau to continue to speak, saying, “We don’t know much about them and their motives or origins, but some of my friends ran into them a couple of times, and they have technology that eclipses everything that this timeline currently possesses. I’ll send you guys all of the data that we have on them once this round of meetings is over, and you can make your decision if you want to help us or not.”

 

“Agreed, Jedi Palpatine.” Yularen said, as he took a sip from his cup of caf.

 

Kal took this moment to suggest, “Perhaps you can give us all of the information now, so that we can decide whether or not we should aid you in this ‘Shadow Alliance’ of yours.”

 

“Fair enough. I think that I’ve talked enough for one meeting.” Tau said as he rubbed his sore throat after talking for nearly three hours straight, and, after retrieving his holocron, he stood up, with the crewmembers of the _Second Chance_ following him as they began to return to their ship.

 

However, before they could do so, Kal said, “Hold on. We’d prefer if General Kota and Commander Tano remain here, as we still have some questions for them.”

 

Suspecting that Kal would try to intimidate them for their different parts in the Clone War, but, knowing that this alliance was crucial for his plans to succeed, acquiesced, saying, “Fair enough. But, if it’s all right with you, I’d like to speak to Bardan, Jaing, and Darman, as I have my fair share of questions for them as well.”

 

Seeing a look of scheming in Tau’s eyes, but knowing that denying his proposal would make him look like a hypocrite, he gruffly nodded, much to Walon and Ordo’s chagrin. The three Mandalorians then followed Tau onto his personal ship, and the two Force Users were left with several Imperials and the remaining Mandalorians.

 

“Well, Kal, what did you want to ask us?” Rahm bluntly said, which nearly made Ahsoka face palm herself at the Jedi Master’s frankness.

 

“Well, for starters, why in the name of the _manda_ would you want to follow a descendant of Sidious, as well as recruit clones into your ranks, as you felt that they were, how did you put it, ‘unfit for battle?’” Kal growled out, which did not surprise the general in the slightest, as he knew of the former sergeant’s temper when provoked.

 

“Well, considering that the majority of them followed Order Sixty-Six, and that the entire war was a scheme by Sidious to put himself and the Sith on top, I’d say that it was a good decision.” Rahm calmly said, before he continued, saying in complete seriousness, “I’m following Tau because he might be the only one that can help lead the galaxy against these threats, as he and his Jedi Order learned from the sins of my Order, and is, from what I’ve seen, a true leader, just like his brother. And, I’ve made my peace with Order Sixty-Six, as most of the clones that followed the Order weren’t acting under their own free will.”

 

“‘Not of their own free will?’ What are you...?” Yularen said before he remembered the deaths of two of Anakin Skywalker’s 501stLegion clones, and breathed out, “The inhibitor chips.”

 

Rahm and Ahsoka nodded at this realization, and Yularen sat back in his seat, and realized that the Clone Troopers were truly slaves to Sidious’s plans. Walon, not liking being kept out of the loop of what appeared to be earth-shaking revelations, said, “What the _kark_ are you talking about ‘inhibitor chips?’”

 

“After I left the Jedi Order, Anakin was sent to Ringo Vinda, where one of his troops named Tup killed General Tiplar in a state of hypnosis. He was taken to Kamino to investigate, and the Kaminoans wanted to kill him to uncover the truth, while Fives did everything he could to discover the truth after find about the degraded chip inside of Tup’s brain. This chip…” Ahoska then took a moment to gather her breath, and hesitatingly said, “This chip, when activated upon Sidious’s orders, forced most of the clones to obey Order Sixty-Six through brainwashing, which is how the Jedi never saw the betrayal coming. When Fives discovered the truth, Sidious framed him for attempted assassination, and was then gunned down by that _chaakar_ Fox before he could convince Anakin of the truth. Only a few Clones, including Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor, removed their chips, giving me and their Jedi Commanders a chance to survive the beginning of this Jedi purge.”

 

The Mandalorians took a moment to process this before Walon shouted, “THAT’S A LIE!!!” He then aimed his blaster at Ahoska, but, before he could take a shot, the least likely person to stop him, Kal, intervened.

 

The older Mandalorian then said through gritted teeth, “Put it down, Walon. This won’t solve anything, no matter how good it might feel. Besides, Kota and Tano had nothing to do with the _Kaminii_ and Sith’s machinations, so they don’t owe us anything.” He then said in an impressed tone, “Besides, it took guts to tell us this, which I’ve got to respect.” Once he gently lowered Walon’s arms down, he sat his fellow Cuy’val Dar down, and said, “Do you have any proof to support these claims?”

 

“Thanks to Tau, we know where someone that studied the chips, another 501stClone Trooper named ‘Kix’, who was kidnapped by Dooku before the Clone War ended, and his captors were marooned onPonemah Terminal, where Kix is trapped in stasis. We’re planning to rescue him and destroy the ship, after retrieving the ship’s data core for its knowledge on hidden Separatist outposts and caches, which could help arm and finance our cause.” Rahm said, remembering the information that Tau told him and the rest of his crew in order to build up some trust with Clan Skirata.

 

“Well, then we’re coming with you, as we’re trying to save as many clones as we can from enslavement.” Kal said with a fire in his voice, which the rest of clan members agreed with, especially since they now knew how far the extent of Sidious’s machinations went in the development of the Grand Army of the Republic.

 

“That’s good, because there are at least a few clones more that we’re going to rescue from being trapped on deserted planets, Imperial prisons, or Imperial service.” Ahsoka said, grateful for the support that Clan Skirata would offer them.

 

 _Meanwhile, Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

_“Taung sa rang broka jetiise ka'rta._

_Dha Werda Verda a'den tratu,_

_Coruscanta kandosii adu._

_Duum motir ca'tra nau tracinya._

_Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a._

_Kom'rk tsad droten troch nyn ures adenn._

_Dha Werda Verda a'den tratu,_

_Coruscanta kandosii adu._

_Duum motir ca'tra nau tracinya._

_Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.”_

 

Darman, Niner, and Bardan, at the request of Celebion for knowing if Mandalorians had any good songs, finished reciting _Dha Werda Verda_ , the GAR’s chant for its Clone Troopers. The Dunedain Ranger nodded in respect for the three Mandalorians’ passion for poems and literature, which he understood on his home world of Arda.

 

“That is an excellent song. If I might ask, what do the lyrics mean, as I don’t speak Mando’a very well from Tau’s tutoring?” Celebion asked any one of the Mandalorians.

 

“Oh, don’t worry, Celebion. We don’t mind the question.” Darman graciously said as he recited the basic translation of the epic Mandalorian war chant:

 

“ _The ash of the Taung beats strong within the Jedi's heart._

_We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow,_

_The first noble sons of Coruscant._

_Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame._

_Our vengeance burns brighter still._

_The gauntlet of Coruscant strikes without mercy._

_We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow,_

_The first noble sons of Coruscant._

_Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame._

_Our vengeance burns brighter still._ ”

 

Once Darman finished speaking, Celebion walked up to the clone and enthusiastically said, “You have got to teach me this song, because, with a few modifications, it could be a great hit back on Arda.”

 

“No problem, Celebion. We’ll send you a copy of the lyrics in Basic, so that you can learn and adapt the song. Just be sure to accredit it to us.” Niner said, glad that the song could be continued on another world. Out of curiosity, he asked the older human, “Do your people have any good songs?”

 

“Don’t get him started, Niner, or you’ll shoot him in order to escape his limitless songs from Arda.” Nagme sarcastically said as she received a glare from Celebion.

 

“Well, there are a couple of songs that I think that you should hear. One of which is ‘The Greatest Adventure.’ It goes like this,” With that, Celebion began to sing.

 

  “ _The greatest adventure is what lies ahead,_

_Today and Tomorrow are yet to be said_

_The chances the changes are all yours to make_

_The mold of your life is in your hands to break._

_The greatest adventure is there if you're bold_

_Let go of the moment that life makes you hold_

_To measure the meaning can make you delay_

_It's time you stop thinking and wasting the day._

_A man who's a dreamer and never takes leave_

_Who thinks of a world that is just make believe_

_Will never know passion_

_Will never know pain_

_Who sits by the window_

_Will one day see rain._

_The greatest adventure is what lies ahead_

_Today and tomorrow are yet to me said_

_The chances the changes are all yours to make_

_The mold of your life is in your hands to break.”_

 

Once Celebion’s song ended, he breathed in a fair amount of oxygen in order to catch his breath. The Second Chance’s three guests then clapped in appreciation of the cheerful song, with Bardan saying, “Not bad, Celebion. Got any other songs, one more action-filled, perhaps?”

 

“Don’t worry, Celebion, I’ll take this one.”  Tau said in order to allow his friend’s voice a break. The Jedi Knight then began to sing, singing a classic from the fallen kingdom of Númenor that Celebion taught him.

 

“ _Stone by stone_

_Cracked, crushed, fallen_

_Beauty burned, erased_

_But not forgotten_

_I’ll take your melodies_

_May your last breath_

_Fill the air with embers_

_I inhale_

_In their blood I will stand_

_Let the waning light of man_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_

_Till our time burns away_

_Till our embers fade to grey_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_

_My grief is swollen_

_In rusty chains_

_Tethered to the killing wheel_

_Sun up, sun down, sun up, sun down, again_

_One burning candle_

_One wind whipped flame_

_I carry in my teeth like an animal_

_Vengeance my strength_

_In their blood I will stand_

_Let the waning light of man_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_

_Till our time burns away_

_Till our embers fade to grey_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_ _!_ ”

 

This time, Darman Niner, and Bardan applauded the grim war song, which made Celebion mock-pout in a lack of appreciation for a more cheery song. _I suppose that, if anything from my time with Jak had taught me, is that Mandalorians love a good fight._ He thought in disappointment.

 

As Tau’s crew bonded with their three guests on their ship, he noticed Jarael and Arnine coming towards him with several copies of the necessary historical holobooks on the threats that the galaxy faced, and went to meet them. Once he reached the two, he thanked them for retrieving the information, and went to the three Mandalorians, where they were sharing war stories with his crew.

 

“Excuse me, you guys, but I think that we’d better head back to the others, as Jarael and Arnine got the records that we need, and I don’t want to leave Ahsoka and Rahm alone in a hostile environment.” Tau patiently said to his guests, who nodded in understanding, and the eleven guests of the ship departed to return to Jan’s home, where they would find out if the Shadow Alliance would gain several much-needed allies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends another chapter of my story. I hope that you enjoyed, and, if you have any constructive criticism on my chapter, or my story, please let me know, and I will do my best to accommodate you. So, how are you doing on the night of February 1, 2018? I’m doing all right, as I will soon finish the novel 12 Strong, and will begin reading the final book in The History of Middle-Earth series. Oh, and I need to give credit for the songs that were listed in this chapter. The Mandalorian war chant Dha Werda Verda is property of Karen Traviss, “Fires of War” belongs to Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, and “The Greatest Adventure” came from The Hobbit (written by Rankin Bass) in its animated movie form, written by Glen Yarborough. Don’t worry, I won’t include too many songs in my chapters, or repeat them too often, if at all. Well, I guess that that’s it for this chapter. Don’t worry, the next chapter will have plenty of twists and turns that you won’t see coming, that’s a promise. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	18. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, all of my friends, followers, and, most of all, Star Wars lovers. What’s up on this cold day of February 2, 2018? I’m doing all right, as I’ve bought three good books from my local help center, and I did some homework before I got started on this chapter, so I can’t really complain about anything. I can tell you that I’m excited and nervous for the final Star Wars Rebels episodes, as I’m eager for more adventures with the Spectres, but nervous for the end, as afterwards, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to watch any more Star Wars shows due to their… let’s just call it pro-New Canon stance, as I can’t integrate too much of the latest stuff into my head canon. Don’t get me wrong, I like the show a lot, but a lot of it goes against the old timeline, which I’m not too fond, as I’m sure that many of you can understand, even if you don’t agree with me. So, this next chapter will include a lot of unanswered questions for our characters, and move the plot along, after Tau helps Kal Skirata out with a certain issue with a renegade Clone Trooper that works in association with him. Well, with that out of the way, let’s get started. 
> 
> (6:33 P.M. Addendum) Sorry for adding one of these, but I have some EU news to share with you that cannot afford to wait. A couple of days ago, I heard rumors on the Internet over the fate of pre-2015 Star Wars books in France, and they left me disconcerted, to say the least. Earlier today, I saw on Facebook through a pro-Expanded Universe group that Pocket, the book publishing company that publishes French translations of the Star Wars novels, has lost their rights to Star Wars EU books, and will no longer be publishing Star Wars novels that were released before 2015. This news makes me so INFURIATED beyond belief, as, if it is true, it shows a danger of a Star Wars EU Purge in full swing, as it could eventually lead to the rest of the world following France’s path. If you wish to know more about this topic, feel free to go to “www. theexpandedunverse. com” (just delete the spaces that’s in between the aforementioned link.) and see the posts for yourself. I hope that this news isn’t true, but, at the rate that things are going with Lucasfilm, I’d prepare myself for the worst. May the Force be with us all in these dire times, my friends.

As Tau, his friends, and the three Mandalorians went back into Jan Dodonna’s house, Celebion, in honest curiosity, asked Bardan, “So, Viridian and Tau told me of how you left the Jedi Order to help your fellow soldiers find a new life for themselves. Is that true, Bardan?”

 

“Yes. It wasn’t an easy decision, but one that I felt that I had to do, as the Jedi Order of my time had lost its way by using a clone army to fight their battles for them. I imagine that Viridian told you about my choice, and how he wasn’t pleased by it?” Bardan said, not at all ashamed of his choice in life.

 

“Indeed, he did, Bardan, and he was not very happy about it.” Celebion stated with complete honesty before he continued, saying, “For a while, his feelings towards the Clone Troopers were mostly hostile due to Order Sixty-Six, but his mood towards them eventually calmed down, and now he is mostly sympathetic towards them. Now, he is back to being on good relations with most of them, especially since his legion defected to our Shadow Alliance.”

 

“The 777th? We heard about them defecting from the Empire after its formation, and I’ve got to say that I admire their _gett'se_ for doing so.” Niner said, showing a great deal of respect for his brothers. He then continued, saying, “I take it that Maval and most of his men are doing well?”

 

“Actually, Niner, they’re doing better than that, as, thanks to Daniel, Vega, and their group, the Clones are free from their accelerated aging, and now have the lifespan of an ordinary human.” Jareal said, interjecting herself into the conversation, and the news nearly made the three Skiratas stop dead in their tracks.

 

“How did they come up with a cure for our accelerated aging, as it took Kal years to find Uthan, and it took her months to come up with a cure, even with all of the data that we compiled on cloning from so many cloning companies?” Darman said in disbelief.

 

“They had help from beings in the Unknown Regions that figured out how to stop the aging process.” Tau simply said.

 

“When was this?” Niner said, struggling to control his anger at realizing that the Jedi came up with a cure before anyone else did, and how they kept it to themselves for so long.

 

“A few months after the Empire rose, as they needed the resources to create the cure, and, before you try to kill me for saying this, they didn’t have many clones to administer it to, as they only had a couple dozen clones with them during their first set of journeys in the Unknown Regions at the time.” Tau quickly said in order to calm Niner down, which did so to a degree, as he was glad that at least a few clones received a cure for their halved livespans.

 

“Which clones got the cure?” Bardan said, wondering how he would break the news to Kal when he did so, as he deserved to know that the clones under the Jedi’s command had a chance at living normal lives.

 

“Well, survivors of the Battle of Boz Pity, which included the ARC Trooper that Anakin Skywalker nicknamed “Alpha”, Breakout Squad, and the 777thLegion, and the former Imperial Stormtrooper Jaing, who is now a bounty hunter who, despite our best efforts, refuses to join our Shadow Alliance.” Tau said, which pleased Bardan that so many clones had normal lifespans now. He then continued, nonchalantly saying, “The clones, like any other soldier, have the same benefits, such as shore leave, pay, and can marry, but not too many of them have done the latter as of yet. Don’t worry, though, they’ll come around eventually.”

 

“Good. They’ve been denied the basic benefits of living for too long now. It’s good to know that some Jedi are still looking out for them. Etain will be glad to hear this.” Darman said in gratitude, which stopped Tau dead in his tracks in shock due to his apparently false knowledge that Etain died shortly after Operation: Knightfall began through a Jedi Padawan’s errant lightsaber strikes during a fight for survival.

 

‘Forgive me, Darman, but did you just say that Etain was alive? As in your wife, Etain Tur-Mukan Skirata?” Tau said in disbelief, which made him realize that Darman’s lack of hatred for the Jedi, as well as no remorse over Roly’s destruction, during his extraction from Coruscant make perfect sense. “Forgive me, but I…I thought that she was dead just after Order Sixty-Six began.” Tau hesitatingly said, which surprised Darman before he laughed as if someone had told him a hilarious joke.

 

“You-You’re joking right, because that is the best laugh that I’ve had in a long time?” Darman said before he saw the serious look in Tau’s eyes, and, after his laughter died down, he fearfully said, “It really happened in your timeline, didn’t it Tau?”

 

“Yes.” Tau solemnly said before he said, “Too put it lightly, you were the one who suffered the most from her death. It nearly drove you right into Melusar’s hate-filled grasp before you were pulled out by your family.” He stilled remembered the stories about Clan Skirata’s fight for survival that Jaing Skirata told Edaan during the latter’s time on Mandalore while fighting Natasi Daala’s Neo Death Watch movement. Deciding to understand how Etain survived, Tau said, “What happened at Shinarcan Bridge during Atin and Corr’s extraction from Coruscant?”

 

Realizing that that was where Etain died in Tau’s timeline, Darman said, “Well, like you said, Atin and Corr joined up with Kal, Bardan, and the others in order to get out of Coruscant. But, Etain joined them after she was saved from death at a Padawan’s hands by Shaak Ti, who incapacitated the Clone Trooper, urged Etain to get off the planet before she was discovered as a Jedi, and took the surviving Jedi away from the battle, buying the others time to escape. Niner and I would have gone with them, but one of the Jedi broke Niner’s back, so I had to stay behind so he could get medical treatment. The rest you know all about, Tau.”

 

“Well, clearly there are some differences from this timeline and mine. Iluvatar must work in strange ways.” Tau said, wondering just how this positive turn of events could have transpired, and what else might have been altered due to his arrival in this time period.

 

“You mean your mysterious Celestial-god that sent you back from time? Well, we all have to belive in something.” Niner said, remembering the debriefing that Tau gave everyone of how he was sent seventy-two years back in time.

 

The twelve individuals then resumed walking into Jan’s home, and saw the calm discussion between the Shadow Alliance, Clan Skirata, and Imperial members about potential recruits for the Shadow Alliance.

 

This debate stirred a great deal of hope within Tau, as he began to believe that he would soon gain a great deal of much needed-aid for the growing Shadow Alliance.

 

As soon as Wullf saw him, he satisfactorily said, “Ah, Jedi Palpatine. I see that you have the files that you promised us. Good, good. We’ll need them if we’re going to help you build your alliance.”

 

 After a moment of pure shock flowed from within the young Jedi, Tau numbly said, “I’m sorry, I must have misheard you, Colonel. Did- did you just agree to help me overthrow Sidious and his followers, and prepare for a galactic armageddon?” All of his friends and associates then saw the unthinkable: They observed as Tau lost his bearings, and fainted onto the ground in simultaneous joy and shock, which scared Ahsoka, Jarael, and Butch. The three friends immediately ran over to the dazed Jedi, while Walon just laughed as Tau blankly looked at the ceiling as he struggled to process the new allies that he had just received.

 

As Ahsoka and Jarael helped Tau get up to his feet, and led him to the nearest seat at the roundtable, he groggily said, “Don’t worry, I’m all right. That won’t happen again.” _At least I hope it won’t._ Tau thought, embarrassed beyond belief at how much of a rookie he seemed like right now.

 

As Walon’s laughter died down, he said, “Oh, I hope it does, Tau, because it is hilarious!”

 

Once Tau shot him a look of exasperation at the lack of maturity on the older man’s part, he turned to face Kal, Thrawn, and Yularen, and asked, “Well, not that I’m complaining, but, why are you so willing to help me in this mad cause of mine?”

 

“Because, Tau, General Kota and Commander Tano have been telling us of how you plan to militarize the galaxy and the surviving Jedi into a force that can protect the innocent, which is precisely why I joined the Empire in the first place.” Thrawn stated as he smiled in amusement at Tau’s fainting. He then said, “And, you have a plan that will result in minimal bloodshed when the Shadow Alliance will take control of the Empire from Sidious and Vader, so it only makes the most sense that we assist you in your bloodless coup.”

 

Yularen then said, “I took an oath to protect the Empire and its citizens, and you have shown me that the most imminent threat to its people is the Emperor itself, so you have my complete support.”

 

Kal, before he said anything, walked up to Tau, and said, “The only reasons that I’m doing this is because you’re the best chance we’ve got in rescuing more of the Clones from Imperial service, and to protect the rest of the Mandalorians from these threats.”

 

“Well, that’ll work for me, Kal, as I have friends among the Mandalorians.” Tau enthusiastically said as he shook Kal’s hand vigorously in gratitude.

 

“For all of our sakes, you’d better have a plan, Tau, because we can’t afford any mistakes.” Ordo gruffly said as he got up from his seat and approached his adoptive father.

 

“Well, for starters, we need to send as many surviving Jedi as we can find into the Unknown Regions, where the Shadow Alliance has a much stronger presence on several worlds. They’ll be safer there than here if we’re going to rebuild the Jedi Order in time for the Yuuzhan Vong. Second, we need a number of powerful shipyards on our side in order to build the ships of my time in order to give us a better edge against our enemies. Third, we’ll need to build armies from various worlds, particularly from anti-Imperial worlds, as they’ll be a potent source of recruits all across the galaxy. Finally, we’ll need to take control of the Empire’s growing arsenal of superweapons from Sidious in order to-” Tau said as he began to ramble before Yularen cut him off.

 

“If sorry, but I must have misheard you, Jedi Palpatine, because I just heard you say Sidious has a number of superweapons, and that you want to control them.” Yularen said in disbelief, wondering just what kind of trouble that he just got himself into, while the remainder of Tau’s allies shared similar looks of shock and fear.

 

“You didn’t know, Colonel?” Tau skeptically said before he sighed, and said to himself in annoyance, “Of course you wouldn’t know, because Sidious wouldn’t trust someone who has such a strong moral compass with the knowledge of so many planet killers.” He then used the Force to pull a copy of one of his holobooks to him, and walked to hand it to Yularen, who began to read it with a fervor in order to see if Tau was telling the truth.

 

The ISB colonel absorbed everything that he read, ranging from the two Death Stars that, through the use of lightsaber crystals, could, at its full powercould destroy an entire planet, as the first one had destroyed the Imperial penal colony of Despayre, and the Core World of Alderaan before they were destroyed during a four-year period, a third planet-killer named after the then-late Grand Moff Tarkin, two 17.5 kilometer-long _Eclipse_ -class Star Dreadnoughts that could crack a planet’s crust with a superlaser, the Galaxy Gun that could destroy a city, continent, or a planet via hyperspace-capable missiles, World Devastators that could use any bit of physical matter in order to produce war materials, the asteroid-shaped superdreadnought known as the _Eye of Palpatine_ that was constructed in order to destroy Jedi hideouts across the galaxy, an indestructible and dagger-shaped starfighter called the Sun Crusher that could launch resonance torpedoes that destroyed a sun and its surrounding solar system, a House of Tagge weapon that could flash-freeze anything between two conductor towers, and a series of Orbital Nightcloaks that could block the light from a planet’s sun from reaching said planet, eventually killing all life.

 

Once Yularen slowly put down the holobook, he looked to Tau, who bore a look of shame on his face, and said, “Why would you want to control such weapons, Tau, as they hold the potential for indiscriminate slaughter, on both sides?”

 

“Actually, I didn’t.” Tau admitted before he continued, saying, “Believe it or not, I was in favor of dismantling them all, but, I was outvoted by most of my friends, so we have to try and gain control of the majority of the weapons, with safeguards in place so that their power could never be abused, or, failing that, destroy them so that they don’t end up in… well, anyone else’s hands.”

 

“Wait, wait, back up a bit. What superweapons are you talking about, Tau?” Jaing said, beginning to doubt just what the young Jedi Knight’s intentions were.

 

“Planet killers, Jaing.” Ahsoka said, a similar look of shame on her face as she spoke.

 

“Okay. I don’t know whether or not to be impressed with your willingness to do what it takes to win, or scared that you’d even consider using such weapons.” Walon simply said with an equal mixture of fear and respect evident in his voice. 

 

“Of all the conceited, power mongering, maniacal moves that anyone could make, you somehow managed to top even your ancestor, Tau.” Kal disgustingly spat out, which made Tau internally wince from the comparison between him and his great-great-grandfather.

 

“You think that I want to do this, Kal?” Tau shamefully said before he continued, saying, “All I want is to create a lasting peace throughout the galaxy, but I don’t have the same luxuries and benefits that my brother had, so I’ve got to get my hands bloody if I’m going to do my part to save the galaxy many times over, just like he did, but with even more compromises. I can only pray that even a fraction of my soul will survive until I die.”

 

Before anyone else could say something scathing of Tau’s apparent lack of morals, Celebion, in defense of his friend, said, “Look, none of us want to use such weapons, as the potential for abuse for their abuse is so great that it would give me a heart attack if I were to consider the full implications of using them. I, especially, abhor this idea due to it’s treading very close to the same tactics that our enemies are going to use. But, if we don’t fight with every tool in our arsenal, then one of our enemies is sure to win, and they will destroy everything that we know and cherish, so, regardless of my personal feelings, I am willing to support my friend, no matter what decision he makes regarding this matter.”

 

“Look, we can spend all day, no, all week, discussing the morals and implications of this plan of ours. But, suffice it to say that, if we do get control of these weapons, we have a plan to use them responsibly, and destroy them when their usefulness has ended. We would sooner see them detonate before using more power to destroy a moon, as we’ll need that much power from the Death Star in order to destroy some of the Yuuzhan Vong’s ships. Also, we won’t construct some weapons, such as the Orbital Nightcloak and _Tarkin_ , or disarm or weaken the other weapons, like removing the resonance torpedoes from the Sun Crusher, as we would never want them constructed, but would want an indestructible ship on our side.” Akuu said in further defense of his friend and leader.

 

After taking a minute of awkwardly looking at each other, Tau proposed, “Look, we can worry about these superweapons when we take control of the Empire. For now, let’s focus on undermining the worst of Sidious and Vader’s policies, and building our own forces. Agreed?”

 

Seeing the logic in Tau’s proposal, everyone said, “Agreed.”

 

Jan then asked, “Well, what do you need of us, Tau, as I imagine that Sidious would stop at nothing to destroy us once he finds out that we’ve defected to the Shadow Alliance?”

 

“Actually, we need you to go with Yularen and Thrawn back to the Empire in order to stay within Sidious’s good graces, and so that you guys can act as our eyes and ears within Imperial High Command.” Rahm said, which surprised the Imperials, even Thrawn, immensely, as they would have thought that Tau would have asked them to officially defect to the Shadow Alliance. However, both Thrawn and Yularen saw the logic in such a plan, as it suited their interests and designs very well.

 

“That’s a good plan, General. We’ll need moles within the Imperial war machine if we’re going to stay a step ahead of their forces.” Bardan said in agreement, before he asked, “Do you guys have any other candidates for infiltrating the military?”

 

“I’ll have Arnine compile a list of potential candidates, as there are many potential recruits from in and out of the Imperial’s ranks.” Tau said before he continued, saying, “There are three more things that I want to discuss before we head out.”

 

“Oh? Well, what Jedi grand schemes do you want to tell us about?” Walon sarcastically said.

 

“They’re Shadow Alliance schemes, Walon. If you’re going to insult me, at least get it right.” Tau annoyingly said before he turned his attention to the three Imperials and information broker, and said, “Anyway, I was, with your permission, put mental blocks on your minds in order to prevent Sidious and his minions from learning through the Force of your new loyalties.”

 

“Jedi Palpatine, I appreciate your concern for us, but there is no need. We are more than capable of fooling Sidious on our plans.” Yularen said in gracious decline.

 

“Yularen, Tau’s right. If Sidious, who managed to fool everyone into believing his benevolent persona for decades, even gets a whiff of what we’re doing, this Shadow Alliance will be over before it’s truly begun. Tau and I need to make sure to protect everyone, including yourselves, from a mental probe or invasion if anyone tries to do so.” Bardan said in agreement with Tau, who appreciated the support from the former Jedi Knight. He then continued, saying, “The procedure is painless, and will only take a short time. Once we’re done, you guys can return to Coruscant in order to bring Dodonna into the Imperial Navy.”

 

After seeing how everyone, including Thrawn, shared a look of agreement with Tau and Bardan, Yularen and Dodonna relented, and the latter said, “Very well, Tau. We’ll assent to your terms. Now, what is the second matter you need to tell us?”

 

“We need to form a High Council if we’re going to coordinate our efforts. I was thinking that it could be styled after the Galactic Alliance’s High Council during its earlier years, with it having six Jedi, and six government and military officials. We can hammer out the finer details, or make any necessary modifications, during a rebel conference on Lah’mu, which is the final matter that we need to discuss.” Tau said, surprising the Mandalorians with both the Jedi taking a leading role in military and politics after the disaster of the Clone War, but their willingness to share power with other beings instead of hoarding it to themselves. 

 

“Okay, let’s pretend that, just for a minute, we would agree to this ‘High Council’ of yours, Tau. Who would sit on it?” Walon said as he wondered just what mess that he had volunteered to get himself into this time.

 

“Well, myself, General Kota, Ahsoka, and Viridian Mallory, for starters, along with Thrawn to represent the Imperial military, a Senator or two who are on our side for the bureaucracy, Kal in order to represent our Mandalorian interests, someone to vote for our underworld contacts, and three others in order to balance the scales.” Tau said, which mollified most of the members, as they saw how he wanted to balance the needs of the Jedi with the rest of the galaxy.

 

“Well, at least you’re better than most of the Jedi of the old Order, Tau.” Ordo said, impressed with how far ahead one of the leaders of the Shadow Alliance’s High Council. He then asked, “When is the meeting on Lah’mu?”

 

“In forty-two days. I chose the location because there’s a man there that we need to recruit. A man with non-military ties to Saw Gerrera.” Tau said, which, once again, surprised the new recruits of the Shadow Alliance.

 

“You have Saw Gerrera on your side? I’m impressed, as I didn’t think that he would agree to work with a Palpatine after the subjugation of his home world, Onderon.” Yularen said, genuinely impressed with Tau’s charisma. 

 

“Actually, I’m expecting a double-cross from Gerrera, so I’d appreciate it if Colonel Skirata would bring some of his boys to Lah’mu if he tries to kill me.”

 

“I’m sorry, Tau, but did you just call me ‘Colonel’ Skirata?” Kal said in disbelief at the instantaneous promotion by the one of the Shadow Alliance’s leaders and founders.

 

“That’s right, Kal.” Tau said as he returned to the original topic, and said, “The man that we’re going to meet with is Galen Erso, a leading expert in crystallography and energy enrichment, who, as Colonel Yularen can confirm, Director Orson Krennic is hunting for in order to complete the Death Star. Well, I have a plan for him to get Galen, who can install a fatal weakness in the superweapon that can lead to its destruction if we can’t get control of it.”

 

“And you expect Galen, an ardent pacifist, to willingly help build a planet killer for the Sith?” Jori said, not able to believe just how far ahead Tau was thinking ahead in his plans for usurping his ancestor’s empire for the galaxy.

 

“Oh, don’t worry, Jori. He’s a reasonable man. He’ll help once he learns of the threats that we face.” Tau confidently said.

 

“Well, if there’s nothing else, we had better get started on the memory blocks that you mentioned, Jedi Palpatine, as we have a schedule to keep if we’re going to make it back to Imperial Center before Sidious begins to suspect duplicity.” Thrawn said, eager to return to his personal Star Destroyer, the _Admonitor_ , and continue building his secret Empire of the Hand, only to have it join forces with Tau Palpatine’s Shadow Alliance when the time came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, that’s a wrap. Sorry that this chapter took longer than usual, but I had work and school to worry about, and that takes precedence over my writing, as sad as that may be. So, how are you doing on the cold evening of February 4, 2018? I’m doing well, as today is my mother’s birthday, and my family is at a friend’s house in order to watch the Super Bowl, while I’m at home, relaxing after a hard day at work. Oh, and the next chapter will mostly take place on Commenor, as Tau has some friends to make, and help a Clone Deserter out with his growing problems from the accelerated cloning process that created him. Five peggats if you can guess who he is. Well, I’ve got to go, as I need to start writing my next chapter. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	19. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone. How are you doing on Super Bowl Sunday, which happens to be on my mother’s birthday of February 4, 2018? I’m doing well, as, like I promised, I am going to start writing my next chapter of Star Wars: Shadow Wars: Foundation tonight. So, we’re going to have my next part of the arc on Commenor in order to help out a Clone Trooper who needs mental aid. There are still five peggats up for grabs if you can guess who it is. Anyway, I’d better get started, as I’ve got a lot to write, and only so much time to do it in. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me, my friends.

_Four Hours Later_

_Forty-Two Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah’mu_

 

Once Tau was done putting the mental blocks on Thrawn, he was finished with the last of the Shadow Alliance’s new Imperial allies, and breathed in a deep sigh of relief, as the subtle but powerful mental defenses that would protect them from revealing their newfound allegiance took a strong toll on his mind. “There. It’s done. You’ll all be safe from any Force probe if any of Sidious’s servants decide to interrogate you.” Tau said, glad that this challenging task was complete.

 

“Good. We need to start heading back to Coruscant soon if we’re going to convince the Emperor of General Dodonna’s change of heart, and to drop off Master Car’das at Corellia in order to for him to disappear back into the galactic underworld.” Yularen said while he and his compatriots began to depart for their shuttle.

 

“Good luck, guys. May Iluvatar protect you all in these dark times.” Tau said as he said farewell to his new allies.

 

The three Imperials and information broker then nodded at appreciation at Tau’s prayer, and they, along with Jan’s son, Vrad Dodonna, who also received mental defenses from Tau, as he planned to join the Empire as another double agent within the Empire’s TIE Fighter academies, left the house in order to return to Yularen’s personal Star Destroyer, the _Inquisitor_ , which would take them back to the Empire’s capital world of Coruscant.

 

Once the _Lambada_ -class Shuttle exited Brelor’s atmosphere, Kal and his fellow Mandalorians prepared to depart to Commenor in order to prepare to move their clan to another location for their safety. But, before they could leave, Tau asked, “Kal? Can I have a word with you guys before you go? It’s about Spar.”

 

Kal then sighed in exasperation of Tau constantly butting into matters that did not concern him, and sarcastically said, “What now? You want to arrest or kill Spar for rallying the Mandalorians against the Republic?” 

 

“Actually, with your permission, I’d like to assist Bardan in helping Spar reconcile the memory flashes of Jango Fett that will eventually drive him mad.” Tau bluntly said, which stunned the mercenaries even further.

 

“You really have a lot of nerve, Palpatine. How could you possibly think that Spar would accept the help of a Jedi, much less the descendant of the ruling Sith Lord?” Walon asked in disbelief at what he considered to be Tau’s limitless audacity.

 

“Well, I have a moral obligation to try, as I won’t let an honorable man descend into madness if I can’t help it. It’s what my brother would have done in my place.” Tau said in resolve before he continued, saying, “Plus, I’d like to see Etain and the rest of your clan, Kal, as I have a few interesting ideas that I’d like to share with you all.”

 

“What kind of ideas, Tau?” Kal suspiciously said, fearing that he would try to throttle the young Jedi after he finished speaking.

 

“Well, for starters, I was considering resurrecting Dorjander Kace’s Mandalorian Knights program, with a few modifications, of course.” Tau said, making every Mandalorian, including his longtime friend Akuu, look at him if he had two heads, which made him say in defense of his plan, “I was thinking that they could exist in order to help protect the Mandalore Sector from the Yuuzhan Vong, as it got hit pretty bad by them near the end of their invasion of the galaxy. And, they wouldn’t kidnap children like Kace and his Knights tried to do, as no one here believes in that, so don’t worry about that.”

 

“You’ve got a storm of ideas in your head, don’t you, Tau?” Jaing said, impressed with how nonchalantly Tau was considering resurrecting a former enemy organization of the old Jedi Order during the Mandalorian Wars. 

 

“Hey, I guess that being Sidious’s descendent has some perks after all.” Tau calmly replied as he shrugged his shoulders. 

 

“All right. We’ll talk about this idea later. If you really want to help Spar, then you and four others can come along to our hideout, because I’m not letting too many Jedi, even good ones, get near my family. The rest of you can stay on your ship while Tau tries to assist Spar in helping Spar get cured of his growing problems.” Kal said in a tone that would brook no argument, which was fine with Tau, as he understood that everything that Kal did was to protect his loved ones, which he respected immensely.

 

“Fair enough, Colonel. It’s your clan that’s at the most risk, so we’ll do it your way.” Tau said in an effort to both please Kal with his respect for his ally, and, at the same time, irritate him with his newfound rank. Kal merely rolled his eyes at Tau’s attempt to get a rise from him. The Jedi Knight then said to his crewmates, “Ahsoka, Arnine, Akuu, Jarael, you guys will come with us. Celebion, Nagme, you guys are in charge of the _Second Chance_ until we get back.” 

 

After the Dunedain Ranger and Extolled Yuuzhan Vong nodded in agreement with Tau’s plan, the Jedi turned to face Kal, and he said, “The rest of my crew will stay on our ship until the job is done. Now, if we’re done with the pleasantries, let’s get to work, as we’re all on a timetable here.”

 

“Agreed.” Kal and Walon simultaneously said in concurrence as the twelve Shadow Alliance members entered the Mandalorians’ Sheathipede-class transport shuttle. However, the group was unprepared for when Butch leapt into the shuttle, and then cuddled up next to Tau, who then sighed at the devotion that the Tuk’ata hound was showing his master.

 

Upon seeing the looks of disbelief plastered on the Mandalorian’s faces, Tau exasperatingly said, “What? You guys look like you’ve never seen a Tuk’ata hound be friends with a Jedi Knight before.” Deciding to let the matter drop, as they knew how dangerous the Sith hounds could be, Kal and Walon headed to the shuttle’s cockpit in order to prepare for liftoff. The shuttle then left for their private hideout on the planet of Commenor, with the _Second Chance_ following in close pursuit.

 

_One Hour Later_

_At Clan Skirata’s Hideout In the Munto Valley_

 

Etain Tur-Mukan Skirata, a former Jedi Knight who became a member of Clan Skirata during Order Sixty-Six, awaited the return of her husband and adopted father from their meeting with the Shadow Alliance, and one of its main leaders, a descendant of Darth Sidious who claimed to come from the future.

 

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, and her fears that this “Tau Palpatine” was going to try and recruit her only son, Kad Skirata, in to the dying Jedi Order, that she failed to sense the arrival of Besany Wennen Skirata, a former member of the Galactic Republic’s Republic Treasury Audit Division, who, during the Clone War, married Ordo and became a mole for Kal within the Republic in order to investigate its second clone army that was being secretly grown for subjugating the galaxy. The former treasury agent then asked in jest, “Credit for your thoughts, Etain?”

 

“You know just what I’m thinking about, Besany, so no jokes. Not with our clan’s future at risk.” Etain gravely said, seeing the two ships coming into focus, and sensed the presences of several Jedi in her adopted father and the Jedi’s ships, and prepared herself for the upcoming meeting, as she had not seen another Jedi in over four years. “I know that _buir_ owed Tau and his friends for saving Dar and Niner, but I just have a bad feeling about this meeting.”

 

“Well, I doubt that anyone of us would let the Jedi be alone with Kad, if that’s what you’re worried about. Besides, we all have our training in case they try anything funny.’ Besany confidently said as she put a hand on Etain’s shoulder in order to calm down her step-sister’s fears. She then comfortingly said, “We’ll all be right behind you if they try anything, so don’t worry about losing Darman and Kad.”

 

Etain took strength from Besany’s gesture, and nodded in appreciation as the two ships landed nearby, and the Mandalorian shuttle’s boarding ramp opened up to show Kal, Walon, Jaing, Ordo, Darman, Niner,and Bardan exit the shuttle first, with a brown-haired young human with such a strong connection with the Force that Etain could only assume that it belonged to the Jedi known as Tau Palpatine.

 

Following him came an Anzati male in Mandalorian armor, an R series astromech droid that appeared far more advanced than any current model, an Iskalloni female that had the garbs of a medic, and a young Togruta woman that Etain recognized as Ahsoka Tano, who had left the Jedi Order a handful of months before the Clone War ended after the Jedi Council expelled her from the Order for being accused of planning the first of two bombings on the Jedi Temple, which surprised the young Mandalorian, as she did not think that Ahsoka would rejoin the Order after how it mistreated her. Even more surprising, however, was the Tuk’ata hound that walked out of the shuttle with a calmness and serenity that she did not know that they possessed, as she recalled from her time in the Jedi Temple’s Archives that Tuk’ata hounds were loyal only to the Sith and Dark Side.

 

As the thirteen beings approached Etain and Besany, the two women slowly walked up to them, and Kal gravely said, “Assemble the clan, and get Spar, Sull, and Jaing. We have a lot to talk about.”

 

Besany, seeing the serious look in Kal’s eyes, went to do so, while Etain only wondered what her adopted father could have heard from the Jedi to make him act this way. After looking at Darman for support, who nodded in support of Kal’s order, she sighed in acquiesce, and followed Besany in order to gather her fellow clan members together.

 

As Kal and Tau walked side by side, Tau asked, Kal, “Hey, Kal? By any chance, would this ‘Jaing’ be a former Clone Trooper of the 501stLegion?”

 

“Got it in one. He told us of how Viridian and his friends helped him defect from the Empire, and how, he became a bounty hunter after seeing the Empire for what it was. He’s been staying with us on and off for a few months while he hunts for bounties.” Kal responded, making Tau chuckle in amusement at the irony of Jaing now being just like his genetic template, Jango Fett.

 

Kal then continued to speak, deciding to test the young Jedi Knight’s honor by saying in a darker tone, “He also told me of how he killed a clone trooper in a judicial duel in order to avenge the death of another Jedi during the Temple’s sacking.”

 

Tau then stopped walking, and angrily growled out to Kal, “That trooper was a _dar’manda_ who took delight in murdering Jedi and other innocents, snapped the neck of Viridian’s niece, Vesse Mallory during Order Sixty-Six, when Viridian was trying to get her to safety, and put the lives of his squad mates at risk in order to try and kill Viridian during a heated battle on Arda. Yes, Pong Krell did him a terrible wrong, and he had every right not to trust the Jedi Order after his cruelty was revealed by Rex and the 501st, but that doesn’t excuse murdering a child, regardless of their affiliation. And Viridian, regardless of what you think of him, acted with honor in is duel with Keen, as he killed him in a quick and painless manner in order to keep him from suffering anymore, and to keep him from inflicting his pain onto anymore people. So, I would appreciate it if you tried to restrain your insults on my friends.”

 

After a moment, Kal nodded in agreement, as he recalled with vivid clarity how Jaing had told him of Keen’s viciousness. Mentally, he blamed both Dred Priest, a lunatic _Cuy’val Dar_ sergeant that was a member of Death Watch before Mij Gilamar drowned him in a river on Mandalore, and the Dark Jedi Pong Krell for his sadistic treatment of his men, for how Keen turned out. But, he also knew that there was no excuse for Keen murdering a child, even if that girl was a Jedi Youngling. He was also pleased with Tau’s measured but passionate response, as he acknowledged the cruelties that Keen had suffered, but he was disgusted by how he murdered a little girl, even if she was a Jedi Youngling. “Deal. As long as you don’t insult my people too much, I’ll play nice.”

 

“Good.” Tau said, satisfied that the two men reached a satisfying conclusion.

 

_One Hour Later_

 

As the various members of Clan Skirata took in the information that Kal and Tau had told them regarding Tau’s version of the future, the dangers that the galaxy now faced, and how Kal and Walon reluctantly agreed to joining forces with Tau’s Shadow Alliance in order to stave off these threats, the emotions and reactions of each clan member varied. Some of them expressed disbelief, confusion, or anger at Kal’s deal, while others shared a more open-minded, but cautious, outlook on this pact.

 

As the mess hall for the Mandalorian clan began to descend into chaos among the infighting, Kal pointed his blaster onto the ceiling, and pulled the trigger, ending all of the arguing as each clan member looked to their leader for what he would say next, as everyone knew that his next words could either unite or break the clan behind his action.

 

“Look. I hate myself for joining forces with the Jedi and their grand schemes, but this isn’t the Clone War, and this is bigger than the hatred between our two peoples. They’re not using a slave army this time, and they’re learning from their Order’s past sins. And, these threats are a danger to all that we hold dear to our hearts, and I am not going to stand by and let them enslave us, and the ones that we love. We are _Mando'ade_ , and we will not let these enemies make us their chattel. I am going to fight for you and the rest of our people with every breath of life in my body. If any of you wish to leave and forge your own paths, then you have my blessing.”

 

“ _Buir_ , we’re all offended at your lack of faith in us.” Prudii Skirata, another of the Null ARCs, said before he continued, saying, “You were there for all of us when we were in need of help, so it’s only fair that we return the favor, even if this quest that you’ve taken up is all but suicidal.”

 

“What he said. Besides, a chance for glory and honor among so many enemies? How could a Mandalorian say no to that? I’m in.” Praja Bralor stated as she looked to her husband, Fi, who only nodded in agreement.

 

One after another, the members of Clan Skirata, including their allies in the forms of their _Cuy’val Dar_ allies, comprising Mij Gilamar, Rav Bralor, and Wad’e Tayhaai, voiced their support for Kal and Tau’s agreement, which lifted a heavy burden off of Kal’s soul.

 

Eventually, only four people were undecided: Spar, Ruusaan Skirata, Sull, and the ex-Stormtrooper known as Jaing.

 

“Ruu, if you don’t want to be a part of this, I won’t hold it against you. Just follow your instincts.” Kal sympathetically said to his biological daughter.

 

“Oh, don’t give me any of that _osik_ , _buir_. Of course I’m staying with you. I’ll be keeping my eye on these Jedi to make sure that they don’t try any funny business, but I’m not leaving you after you risked your _shebs_ to bust me out of prison.” Ruu said, offended at the lack of faith that her father put in her.

 

“Thank you, Ruu. Sull?” Kal said in gratitude and relief before turning his head to face the first rogue ARC Trooper.

 

“I need some time to think about this, and a discussion with your new partner on his loyalties.” Sull calmly said, which Kal understood, as there were still many questions that he had about Tau as well.

 

“Fair enough. Jaing?”

 

“It’s not my place to question your decision, Colonel. I know Tau from my time on Arda, and, from what I saw of him on and off of the battlefield, he’s someone that you’d want on your side. He’ll make a fine ally. But, I have my own path to follow, and I’m afraid that it’s not by Tau’s side. Ask him why later, after I leave.” Jaing said, both in acceptance and rejection of Kal’s speech, which Kal nodded in understanding, as he knew that Jaing had to make his own destiny, not one hindered by anyone, even Kal, if it came to it.

 

“All right. We’ll get your ship restocked and refueled once the meeting’s over. Safe travels. Jaing.” Kal said, taking in a deep breath before he turned to the sole remaining Mandalorian who was undecided. “Spar, what are you going to do?”

 

“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do, ‘Colonel.’ I’m getting out of this crazy hover-bus before I get killed in our grand schemes. It’s been fun helping you guys out, but I don’t want anything more to do with the Jedi.” Spar angrily said, as he refused to work alongside Jedi again after he worked with Viridian and his fellow Padawans in the Carthean Resistance. He got up, and prepared to walk to his ship, only to find Tau blocking his way. The rogue ARC Trooper then growled out to Tau, “Get out of way, Palpatine.”

 

“Don’t worry, Spar. If you want to go, I’m not going to stop you, as the Shadow Alliance is a voluntary organization. But first, I want to help you out with a growing problem that you have.” Tau cryptically said, which further irritated the former Confederate soldier, and continued to speak, saying, “I want to help you reconcile the conflicting set of memories between you and your prime source, Jango Fett.”

 

After a moment of complete and utter silence, as no one would dare speak in order to provoke the Mandalorian bluntly said, “You had better be joking, because there is no way in the _manda_ that I’m going to let a _Jetii_ probe inside my mind.”

 

“Not even to save yourself from descending into insanity, and your murder in a handful of decades?” Akuu said, speaking for the first time, which redirected Spar’s ire from Tau on to the Anzati.

 

“What do you know of saving people? You’re supposed to be a Mandalorian, and we make our living by killing people.” Spar disgustingly said as he stomped over to Akuu.

 

“Not all of us.” Akuu calmly retorted, continuing to speak, saying, “Before I lost my company during the Shadow Alliance’s campaigns, we acted with honor and distinction, saving many more lives than we took. And, my friend Edaan showed me what it truly meant to be a fighter, which I pray to Iluvatar is something that you will one day understand.”

 

“Ugh. Don’t tell me that you believe in Tau’s bedtime stories?” Spar disgustingly replied as Akuu made reference to the first Celestial in existence.

 

“We all do, Spar. Even if you don’t believe, we have evidence to support the dangers that are coming our way, and only a united galaxy, aligned to the Light, can win this war against the forces of Darkness.” Ahsoka said as her boyfriend gratefully nodded to her in appreciation of her support.

 

“And who’s to say that Tau won’t end up just like his ancestor, or like Dooku, who decimated the True Mandalorians, giving Death Watch near total victory over the rest of my people?” Spar retorted, remembering, due to the memory imprints that he was given from Jango, with vivid clarity how the then-Jedi Master Dooku’s task force massacred the True Mandalorians, leaving Jango as the only member of the mercenary group to be enslaved before his escape. 

 

“Because he has good people by his side in order to keep him from losing his way, just like Edaan had his loved ones to help him on his journey.” Jarael said, remembering with vivid clarity how Edaan’s connections with his wife, Adari Thayn Palpaine, and the rest of his loved ones, helped him come back from the edge of the Dark Side on several occasions.

 

Tau then said, “Look, I know that you hate the Jedi, and you have many legitimate reasons to do so. But things have changed, and we need all of the help that we can get if we’re going to survive the coming tribulations. I have my own reasons to hate my brother for reprogramming me, but-”

 

“Wait, wait, wait. Back up a bit, Tau. Did you just say ‘reprogramming’?” Mij said, beginning to wonder just who the man was.

 

After realizing what he had said, he sighed in defeat, as he knew that there was no going back now. He then admitted to Mij and the others, “Yes, I did. I am an Iteration- a clone, if you will- of Edaan Palpatine. I was grown in the span of five days, and had all of Edaan’s memories copied into my mind, in order to infiltrate Edaan’s Shadow Alliance. Fortunately for all of us, Edaan managed to deprogram me and give me his sense of morals and allegiance, and I helped him destroy the One Sith when the time came.”

 

After a minute of absorbing this information, Walon scathingly said, “So, in other words, Edaan made you into his own personal slave. Answer me this: How, just how, does that make him and his Jedi Order better than the one that we had to deal with for millennia?”

 

“Hey, first off, Edaan never asked for me to be created, okay? His DNA and memories were taken by force by the Sith and that _schutta_ Nala Se in order to make me. Second, he needed my help in order to resist the Sith brainwashing that Krayt and his minions tried to force upon him while the transformed him into a karking cyborg! Third, he treated me as an equal when we fought together against the Sith, when he was clearly the better fighter and leader, as he was the one who killed Krayt. And, finally, when he was dying, he took the time to release me from my service to him, and begged me to trust in the Light Side of the Force in order to follow my own path, and that’s what had me and my friends sent back in time. He knew that every one of his loved ones would do what was right. Those words were the last ones that he ever said to me in my time.” Tau said, both feeling immensely angry over the Mandalorian’s presumptuousness, and guilt for not being able to save the man who he loved as a brother.

 

“Enough, Vau.” Mij said, now feeling sympathetic for the clone’s plight, as he could see in the young man’s eyes the truth of his creation, as well as the pain that he had to endure. Turning back to Tau, he empathetically said, “Sorry I asked, kid.”

 

“Ah... don’t worry about it, Gilamar.” Tau said in dismissal, knowing that the combat medic didn’t mean any harm at the question. Knowing what the next question would be, he said in satisfaction, “Don’t worry about Nala Se wreaking anymore havoc in my time. She and Krayt’s surviving cronies were executed for war crimes shortly before I left the Jedi.”

 

“Good. That maniac deserved worse.” Ordo said, remembering the insults that she threw at him and his fellow Null ARCs, and how she continuously wished to dissect them alive in order to figure out just what “went wrong in their programming”, as she so crudely put it. Moving to change the subject, he then asked, “So, did Edaan ever get as angry as you just did, or is that your problem?”

 

Tau then sighed in despair at having a chance to talk about his brother when he wasn’t at his best, and, as pulled out his holocron from his backpack, he said, “As a matter of fact, Ordo, I remember many instances when Edaan lost his cool. This one is the most prominent of them all.” He then activated the holocron, and the image of his brother appeared.

 

“ _Greetings, I am Edaan Palpatine. What do you desire to learn, fellow Jedi?_ ” The avatar politely said.

 

“Show me Edaan Palpatine’s meltdown on Mandalore, during the Shadow Alliance’s war council.” Tau said, and the holocron’s projection expanded large enough for the assembled clan to see, which showed the many members of the Shadow Alliance’s highest ranking members, including a man in ancient Jedi combat armor, who everyone assumed to be Edaan Palpatine, in a war room that no one recognized. Only a handful of people in the room were recognizable, including the young Hutt kajidic known as Azzim Anjiliac Atirue, and a man in Mandalorian armor that the _Cuy'val Dar_ recognized as Jango Fett’s personal armor, which likely meant that the man was Boba Fett, which raised even further questions in the Mandalorians’ minds.

 

However, before they could raise them, Edaan began to speak, saying the assembled leaders, “ _Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, all of you. Now, I’m sure that you’re all wondering what I’m doing contacting you with only three days left until the Invasion of Mandalore begins. Well, I will get right to the point. I have discovered, through analyzing Daala’s stolen records with the help of one of my companions, Robonino, to be more precise, that she had inside help from each of your governments in stealing Force-sensitives from their homes in order to experiment on them. The lists that I’m sending to each of you determines who is guilty of treason, which can go up to very high levels of your governments._ ” Edaan explained in a dark tone that worried everyone who wasn’t there when Edaan spoke these words, as they could sense the undercurrent of pure rage in his voice.

 

After reading the list intently, a woman in Hapan robes suddenly said, “ _Thank you, Jedi Palpatine. Many of these people on my list were already being watched for suspicious activity, but now I can arrest them on charges of betraying their citizens._ ”

“ _You are most welcome, Queen Mother. Unfortunately, though, I still have one matter to bring up._ ” Edaan said before he pulled out a datapad from the robes that covered his customized Jedi combat armor. “ _Do all of you recall the dozen Jedi that Daala had captured and experimented them all? Well, I found out their names from Mirta Gev, Armand Vorn, and Daala’s confidential files. I’m now going to read off the list of the murdered Jedi: Bandy Geffer. Sothais Saar. Klin-Fa-Gi. Turi Altamik._ ” Edaan’s voice grew tenser as each name was listed off. “ _Finn Galfridian. Tahiri Veila. Jysella Horn. Kirana Ti. Ohali Soroc. Marr Idi-Shael!_ ” By this point, Edaan was practically yelling the names, and everyone noticed a creaking noise as various pieces of equipment in the conference room began to be crushed by Edaan’s subconscious use of the Force. “ _Tesar Sabatyne! And Tiu Zax! Jedi brothers and sisters, including the former Jedi Madurrin, ALL DEAD!!_ ”

“ _Edaan._ ” A purple-skinned humanoid said, her voice laced with concern and fear, as the creaking technology was ripped from their locations and began circling around the room.

“ _Countless others! Experiment on. Slaughtered like lab rodents! Where were all of you as these people were taken from their homes and treated like animals?! The Jedi Council, too concerned with the ‘big picture’ to look after our own people, just like during the Mandalorian Wars and the Clone War! The Galactic Senate, which was, aside from a handful of brave individuals, too concerned with its pride and image to protect their own citizens! The Moff Council and Hapes Consortium’s Duchas, too concerned with status and power plays to make a difference, leaving their leaders to do all of the true work!_ ” The rage and disgust evident in his eyes, he then turned to face a red-haired Jedi, who had an aghast look on his face at the young man’s outburst. “ _And YOU! Too preoccupied with hunting down and butchering the woman you love to help innocent people, all because she made the wrong choice so many years ago! You read my reports as to why she did what she did during her time with the Order, and you still let your hatred consume you!_ ” Next, he turned to three individuals who appeared to be in their seventies or eighties, his anger rising as he bellowed, “ _YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THE GALAXY, NOT RETIRE AT A TIME WHEN WE NEEDED YOUR LEADERSHIP NOW MORE THAN EVER!! WHERE DID YOU GO, LUKE?! INTO RETIREMENT ON TATOOINE! AND HAN AND LEIA, YOU WERE EVEN WORSE! GOING ABOUT THE GALAXY LIKE YOU WERE A NEWLYWED COUPLE INSTEAD OF HELPING TO FIX THE GALAXY’S MISTAKES!!_ ”

“ _EDAAN, THAT’S ENOUGH!_!” The purple-skinned woman screamed as she charged at Edaan in order to stop his outburst before someone was hurt.

But before she could connect, Edaan immobilized her with the Force, and his gaze only softened as he painfully said one last thing to the holograms. “ _You abandoned us all._ ” With that said, he breathed in the anger, and let it go in a deep exhale. He then released her from the hold he had on her, and gently lowered all of the technology he was controlling down onto the ground. Looking at each person in the war room with a look of guilt in his eyes, as he could see the fear on their faces, he whispered to her, “ _I’m so sorry._ ” He quickly fled the room, leaving the stunned leaders behind.

 

“End transmission.” Tau sadly said, deactivating the holocron, leaving a stunned crowd in front of him, except for Spar, who chuckled at the scene that he just witnessed, leaving everyone either confused or angry at what appeared to be Spar’s insensitivity to the young Palpatine’s pain and anger.

 

“What?” Spar said, not getting the looks that everyone was sending his way. He continued, saying, “I think that it was impressive how he called out everyone for their hypocrisy. Sounds like he should have been the one leading the Jedi instead of the Councils of both our times.”

 

“Ironically enough, Spar, that’s exactly what everyone else wanted Edaan to do when he was old enough. He was even promoted to Jedi Master during the Invasion of Korriban, and would have been the perfect person to lead the galaxy into a golden age of peace. He knew when to fight, and when to make peace. He knew when a person deserved a second chance, and when they were beyond redemption. He never fought for himself, but to protect the innocent of the galaxy, and got three families in the process, the Jedi Order that took him in before his birth family was killed during Abeloth’s rampage on Coruscant, the crew of the _Second Chance_ , who came from all walks of life, and his wife, Adari Thayn Palpatine.” Tau said, tearing up with tears of pride of being able to speak of the man who gave him life when everyone else would have killed or imprisoned him on the spot.

 

After he wiped away the tears from his eyes, he asked, “Would you like to hear any more stories of my brother, or should we get down to business after Jaing and Spar depart?”

 

As no one left from their spots, Tau took it as a chance to tell more stories, and he said, “All right. I’ll tell you of how Edaan formed the Shadow Alliance. But, on one condition.” He then smiled lightly, and said, “Is it okay if someone could get me some caf, as I’ll need it to stay awake through it all?”

 

“Deal.” Etain said while her six-year-old son, Kad Skirata, eavesdropped through a cracked door, intent on learning more about these guests while keeping hidden, never knowing that Ahsoka heard his every breath through her montrals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, that’s a wrap on the longest chapter to date of my story! I can’t believe that I was able to write this in just three days, as tonight is February 6, 2018. It just goes to show you how much you can get done with both focus and determination. And, I took the Shadow Alliance meeting on Mandalore from Star Wars: Jedi Odyysey: Shadow War II: Armageddon. So, what did you think of this chapter, as I put a lot of thought into it? Well, onto other news, I heard that Lucasfilm is going to be producing more Star Wars TV series and movies, and, while that’s good for business, I desperately want the Expanded Universe to continue, and I know that many people desire its continuation as well. Well, I guess that that’s if for this chapter. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	20. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone. How are you doing on this cool night of February 7, 2018? I’m all right, as I went to an event near my home in order to get credit for one of my classes for community college. I have to say that the event was a very informative and powerful one, one which will make me doubt the way that things are turning out right now. But, that might not be a bad thing, as it will allow me to keep both of my eyes open to new changes. 
> 
> Anyway, let’s get started on the story. Just a brief heads-up: The first passage was mostly written by Squasher, so give him credit for writing that, as it showed the continuing struggle inside Ventis’s soul in overcoming his grief at Gallies’s sins. Well, back to the story. May the Force and Iluvatar be with us all in these chaotic times. 
> 
> (February 8, 2018 addendum.) How are you all doing on this warm Thursday afternoon? I’m doing all right, as I went to community college today, did some homework and errands, and now I’m writing another chapter of my exciting fanfiction. Anyway, I wanted to let you guys know that I might not be able to update my story as frequently as I like, as I have homework, my job, and transferring to college piling up, so it might take a few days to update each chapter, as opposed to two or three days. I just wanted you all to know so that you don’t think that something’s wrong on my end. Well, I’d better get back to writing, as it will involve a plot thread that will resolve in a surprising conclusion.

_Meanwhile, on the_ Second Chance

 

Ventis sat in the turret at the bottom of the _Second Chance_ , going over the controls of the weapons for what seemed like the thousandth time.  
  
"There you are!" Celebion exclaimed from the top of the ladder. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Ventis shrugged "I can't sleep, so I thought I'd just sit here for a while..."  
  
Celebion sighed and climbed down the ladder, "Ventis, I found the communiqués from your brother."  
  
Ventis turned around in fright, "You didn't read them did you?"  
  
Celebion shook his head, “I know better than to invade someone's privacy." He tilted his head and asked, "So how is your brother doing?"  
  
Ventis turned away "He wants to see me."  
  
"That's great news!" He smiled, but then he noticed that the healing man wasn't jovial, "Isn't it?"  
  
Ventis bowed his head "How could he want to see me? I... I'm a..." He began  
  
Celebion cut him off “You're his brother who he hasn't seen in five decades. His brother who was taken from him and turned into a monster. He wants his brother back."  
  
Ventis shook and Celebion heard sniffles coming from him, "How can you look at me see me as a friend? I was like Arthinor. I hurt a girl when she was a Padawan. I put someone through the same thing that he put your daughter through. How could you possibly give such kindness?"  
  
Celebion placed a hand on his shoulder "The difference between you and Arthinor is that he made his choice to become what he did, while you didn't have that."  
  
"But that doesn't excuse the harm I caused." Ventis retorted, "Why did Daniel have to find out? Why didn't he just end my life?"  
  
Celbion pulled Ventis so he would look at him, "Daniel wanted to give your brother the closure that he so desperately needed and desired. Your son desired to find out what kind of man his father was. What he could have been. He and his adopted brother pieced together a mystery that would make the best trackers of my people marvel at their skills. He approached his mother and told her of your past, and she, in a moment of mercy, despite what Gallies did to her, allowed him to do whatever it took to set your soul free from whatever the Sith did to you. Your life was ruined and Iluvatar has granted you the chance to make it right. So, Ventis Uriel, son of Kian Uriel, don't waste that chance!"

 

Ventis, immensely touched at the emotion and passion with which his surrogate brother spoke to him, said, “I… I will try.”

 

“As a wise Jedi Master once said, ‘Do or do not. There is no try.’” Celebion jokingly said, grateful that his friend was listening to his words, and hugged him in a brotherly embrace, which the Jedi Apprentice reciprocated. The two friends then got out of the turret emplacement, and went to join the others as they awaited the return of their leader.

 

_Three Hours Later_

_Within Clan Skirata’s Hideout_

 

“And, once Lon was born, Vestara and Ben departed to Kesh in order to start their own Jedi Academy, and Akuu, Jarael, Arnine, Butch, and I began our odyssey, which sent us back in time.” Tau said as he finished his brief version of Edaan’s final journey, and the beginning of Tau’s own mission. He looked to the crowd to see the Mandalorians looking like they had seen a cheesy holonet film instead of hearing how Edaan, with nothing but his mind, body, and will, had formed an alliance from so many planetary and galactic governments, religious organizations, mercenary groups, including the bulk of the Mandalorians under Boba Fett’s leadership, and over two thousand Yuuzhan Vong refugees, had destroyed a Falleen’s anarchist movement, helped Boba win a second Mandalorian civil war between his faction and a former Imperial Warlord known as Natasi Daala, and destroyed the One Sith, all in the pursuit of redeeming a now-saved Sith Lady known as Vestara Khai, whom his master, Ben Skywalker, the grandson of Anakin Skywalker, loved before she left him, and helped them fall back in love before he died, allowing them to sire a son that they named Lon Gavar Skywalker.

 

“Well, I don’t know about any of you, but that story was sweeter than an _Uj'alayi_ , and feel like I have a cavity now.” Mereel said, rolling his eyes at the mushy story that he had just wasted three long hours listening to.

 

“Oh, come on, Mereel.” Jarael said, annoyed by the Null ARC’s lack of sensitivity to such a beautiful story, of hope, redemption, loss, and love. “Considering that Tau, Butch, Akuu, and I helped make that story a reality, it was exactly the same as how we remember it, which is just as beautiful as living it.”

 

“Yeah, most of us don’t like sappy stories. Don’t get me wrong, I thought that Edaan was a great man for his decisive action, and him holding true to his ideals in a galaxy gone mad, but it just seems too unrealistic to be believed. I mean, Edaan being able to talk and learn from five dead Jedi in his sleep? Him marrying a woman originally wanted to kick the _shebs_ of anyone who invaded her home world after over five thousand years of subjugation, and then saving millions of them from extinction at the hands of the Jedi? Not to mention taming a Sith hound into a pet? It just sounds like something out of a poorly-written fairy tale.”

 

“Believe what you want to believe, Mereel. It won’t change the truth.” Tau said in complete seriousness, as he did not like how Mereel was disrespecting his brother’s achievements.

 

As he began to argue with Mereel, he failed to notice Akuu and Jarael approach Kal, and, after Kal made a silent head motion for Mij and Jaing Skirata to come with him, the three Mandalorians followed the two crewmembers of the Second Chance into the main communcations room, where the two friends were sure that no one could hear them.

 

“What’s so bad that you had to have us leave the room and miss what will no doubt be a brawl between your boss and my boy?” Kal said, both annoyed and curious at the two crewmates’ secrecy.

 

“We need your help with finding someone, and no one outside the five of us can know about it, especially Tau.” Akuu gravely said, which caught their hosts’ attention, and they looked intently at the Anzati and Iskalloni.

 

Jarael, continuing what Akuu started, turned to Kal and Jaing, and said, “We need your help in finding and recruiting Chelli Lona Aphra into the Shadow Alliance, as Jaing is one of the best trackers and computer experts of both our times.” She then faced Mij, and said, “And, since, you’re a doctor and expert at fixing people, we figured that you can help me try to help Aphra come to terms with her mother’s murder at the hands of raiders during the Clone War, and the other mental issues that she suffered from.”

 

After the three members of Clan Skirata blankly looked at the two friends, Kal calmly said, “Why in the name of the _manda_ would you two want to help that murderer after what she did to Edaan in your time?”

 

“Because few beings were as resourceful, and had a knack for surviving impossible circumstances, as she was during the First Galactic Civil War.” Akuu began before he continued, saying, “Look, in our time, Chelli deserved her execution for her willing service to Vader and Krayt, and for her key role in creating the Sith Troopers and cybernetically altering Edaan. But, right now, she’s a young girl that’s hurt, angry at the galaxy, and broken inside. The two of us believe that she is not beyond help right now, and, if there’s anything that Edaan taught us through his example, it’s that everyone has the right to have a second chance at life.” 

 

“Well, I’ll give you points for honesty.” Ahsoka said, surprising everyone as she stepped into the view of the five fighters, and continued, calmly saying, “Don’t be too surprised by my appearance. I am a spymaster and intelligence leader for a reason. You don’t have to worry, though. Tau doesn’t know about our disappearance, as he’s too busy with talking with Etain and Uthan.”  Once she finished speaking, Akuu and Jarael breathed in a sigh of relief, as they feared how Tau would react if he found out about how the two of them were going behind his back in order to recruit one of his creators. She then continued, asking, “What makes you think that Aphra can be turned from her current self-destructive course, if that’s even possible?”

 

“If we can get to her, we might be able to convince her of how Sidious orchestrated the Clone War, which led to her mother’s murder, which should redirect her anger from at the galaxy to the man who planned this all out, giving us a valued agent. And, if we play our cards right, we might be able to get her father, a noted Jedi scholar and archeologist, to join us, which can let her raise her as they search for not only the means to resurrect the Jedi Order, but to unite the various Force-worshipping cultures in the galaxy against the Yuuzhan Vong and Celestial-related threats.” Akuu said, which astounded Ahsoka and the three Mandalorians with how much Akuu and Jarael were willing to put such a risky plan on both faith and luck.

 

Jaing, being the first to catch on to what they were alluding to, said, “So, let me see if I’ve got this figured out. You guys basically want to unite not only the galaxy, but the Force itself, along with the normal scholars who study it, against the apocalypse itself?”

 

“Actually, Tau, Viridian, and the rest of us came up with the idea, we just altered it a little bit. Tau is just… You know how emotional and angry Edaan could be, when provoked. Well, Tau keeps most of his emotions on the inside, and he’s carried _a lot_ of rage, most of it justified, against certain people and groups throughout his near-three years of existence. We just want to help him let go of some of it before it consumes him.” Jareal sympathetically said, which everyone present understood, as the Iskalloni and Anzati were not trying to undermine their friend’s plan for galactic stability, they were just looking after their leader and friend’s mental well-being.

 

“Let’s say that, just for the sake of argument, we agree to help you in your made scheme. What’s to stop her from betraying either the clan or Shadow Alliance to the Empire?” Kal said, wondering just how far ahead these two friends planned this gamble out.

 

“Well, we developed a series of contingencies in place for the possibility that she does try to turn us in, we’ll send you the list once we’re done here. Don’t worry, none of them involve a control chip of any kind, so you can rest easy on that matter.” Akuu said before he continued, saying, “Look, I know that this plan has a snowball’s chance in succeeding, but I guess that Edaan rubbed off on us in more ways than one. Before we met him, he was the one who believed in redeeming as many people as he could, regardless of the personal cost to himself, or his personal mission. Besides, Iluvatar tasked Tau and his friends with saving the galaxy, and we’re going to do our part by helping him save as many people as we can. After all, he believed that A’Sharad Hett could be saved from becoming Darth Krayt, and that’s worked out well so far.”

 

Ahsoka then said the two words that no one expected her to say, “You’re right.” Everyone then looked at her with various degrees of astonishment. She then said, “While I agree that some beings are beyond redemption, and they need to be put down, Aphra hasn’t committed any crimes yet. That means that we should be doing everything in our power to help her before she’s lost to her own self-despair, just like we all needed help in one point or another in our lives.” After seeing how Kal, Mij, and Jaing were considering the Togruta’s words, she, in an effort to make a compromise to this dilemma, suggested, “Look. We don’t have to decide Aphra’s fate today. We need time to learn where she is, and what kind of person that she is right now. For the moment, let’s just focus on finding out where she is in the galaxy, as it’ll no doubt take a short time to find a young woman who hasn’t made galactic notoriety as of yet, and is the father of Micah Aphra, a noted Jedi archeologist.”

 

“I can get behind that. At the very least, it’ll be an easy break from the slicing and hacking that we’ve been doing in the last four years, and we can keep our eyes on a potential threat.” Jaing said in concurrence with Ahsoka’s proposal.

 

Kal and Mij, seeing the logic in Ahsoka’s argument, reluctantly nodded their heads in acquiesce, and the latter said in consideration as he did so, “Well, if this works, at the bare minimum, we can help another person that was broken by the Clone War. How long should we keep this between the six of us, as a plan of this magnitude is bound to be found out by the others sooner or later?” 

 

“We’ll tell Tau and the rest of the crew when we’ve found and decided on a course of action for Aphra, as they have the right to know what we’re doing. And, this wouldn’t be the first time that I’ve kept such a big secret from a Palpatine.” Akuu said, remembering with vivid clarity how he kept secrets from Edaan during their time on Mandalore when the Second Mandalorian Civil War was raging across the Mandalore Sector.

 

“And you still survived their anger once they found out? Whichever Palpatine he was, anger aside, he must have been an extremely disciplined individual in order to keep from killing you on the spot.” Kal said, more than a little impressed with Akuu’s courage in doing so, which made Akuu shiver with fright over Tau’s potential reaction when he found out.

 

“Don’t give me nightmare, Kal. They won’t end well for me.” Akuu fearfully said, making Jarael chuckle at her friend’s uncharacteristic display of fear.

 

With everything taken care of during this secret meeting, the six allies left to return to the others, where everyone was seeing Spar and Jaing prepare to depart on their respective ships.

 

As soon as Kal came into view, Jaing said, “Thank you for allowing me to stay with you for the last couple of months, Serg- I mean, Colonel. But, it’s time that I head out, as I’ve got to make a living as a bounty hunter somehow.” 

 

Kal only nodded in respect for the clone’s choice, and Tau respectfully said, “Good luck on your journey, Jaing. If you see Boba out there, please give him my regards.”

 

After Tau said those words, and Jaing nodded his head in affirmation before walking out, everyone, aside from Akuu, Jarael, and Arnine, looked at Tau with yet another expression of disbelief, and he nonchalantly said, “What? I’m on good terms with Boba Fett, as he’s under Daniel Valo’s employment after helping him out of a jam. What’s the big deal? He was friends- actually, he was more of an ally and associate of me and Edaan in my time, so why does it seem like such an impossibility?”

 

“Well, clearly we have another discussion to get into after Jaing and Spar head out.” Ovolot Qail Uthan, a former Confederate scientist that, in the early stages of the Clone War, was tasked with creating a nanovirus that was tailored to eradicate Jango Fett-based clones, before being captured by the GAR’s Omega Squad, and eventually being broken out of prison by Kal and his clan a handful of days before Order Sixty-Six began, and after falling in love and marrying Mij, helped engineer a cure for the clones’ accelerated aging.

 

Tau then chuckled at the scientist’s calmness of what they thought to be ludicrous news. He then turned to face Spar, the sole remaining clone trooper that was fully against the alliance, and said, “Spar? You sure that you don’t want my assistance?”

 

“Thanks, but not a chance, Palpatine.” Spar sarcastically said as he gripped his duffle bags even tighter, and said, “Even if you’re telling the truth about me, I’d rather die on my terms, and without the aid of any _jetii_ , even if they’re from a futuristic and reformed Jedi Order, as you claim.”

 

“Well, I can’t force you to accept my help, Spar. But, if you ever change my mind, the offer will still be there for you. Stay safe.” Tau said in polite acknowledgment of the former _mand’alor_ ’s harsh decline.

 

“Hah! Don’t count on it, Tau.” Spar said in rebuttal of all of both of Tau’s offer and request, and left everyone as he too departed for his ship.

 

As the two bounty hunters left in Jaing’s Z-95 starfighter and Spar’s CloakShape fighter, Tau offered a silent prayer to their safety, as he held onto the hope that they would come around and join the Shadow Alliance, not just for the sake of the galaxy, but for the their chance to fight with their loved ones for something more than just credits or survival.

 

After the two Mandalorians exited the planet’s atmosphere, Tau suggested, “Perhaps we could take a couple of hours in order to absorb these decisions, and then return to decide what our next course of action should be.”

 

“Agreed. And, next time, bring the rest of your friends, as we want to get to know our allies better.” Kal said, which Tau agreed to, as this was still Clan Skirata’s home. Just about everyone nodded at the decision, and Tau, Ahsoka, Akuu, Jarael, and Arnine returned to their ship, but not before Akuu glanced at Mij, Kal, and Jaing, which they subtly nodded in agreement upon their secret pact. As no one else noticed this silent communication, the Anzati left the home in order to return to the _Second Chance_.

_Back on the_ Second Chance

 

As the five friends entered the ship, they saw the rest of their crew await them, and Nagme asked the question that everyone was asking, “How did it go?”

 

“Excellent. Most of Clan Skirata formed an alliance with us, giving us a lot of muscle, money, and brains to help plan our long-term strategies.” Tau triumphantly said, making everyone’s jaws fall down at the shock of the news.

 

“Well, I think that you’d make an excellent diplomat, Tau.” Rahm said, being the first to regain his bearings.

 

“Don’t tell him, that, General. It’ll go to his head.” Ahsoka said in jest, which made Tau roll his eyes in amusement. Before he could say anything in the form of a clever retort, his personal holonet comm device began to activate, and Tau, seeing who was calling, immediately activated the device, revealing the small form of Viridian. 

 

“Viridian. This is a surprise. How are you doing?” Tau said, not expecting this holonet call in the slightest.

 

“ _Well enough, Viridian. I heard from Senator Organa that you killed two more of Sidious’s best servants, recruited one of them, and retrieved the Dagger of Mortis. Oh, and that you were meeting with several Imperials, so I’d figure that I’d check up on you._ ” Viridian said in apprehension for his friend.

 

“Don’t worry, buddy, we’re doing great. This alliance is really starting to come together, especially since Colonel Yularen, General Dodonna, Captain Thrawn, and Jori Car’das joined the Shadow Alliance in order to serve as moles and sources of information for us.” Tau satisfactorily said, which left his friend speechless with the news of such powerful Imperials and information brokers joining the Shadow Alliance.

 

“ _I… I have no words, Tau, other than ‘Nice work.’_ ” Viridian numbly said.

 

“It gets even better, as I called in our favor with Kal Skirata for rescuing Darman and Niner, and he and several of his boys and allies joined us for the meeting as security, just in case Yularen and the others turned out to be a double-cross. We then met with Kal’s clan to ask for their help.” Tau said, making Viridian’s expression become one of disdain.

 

" _So, how did the meeting with the Kal’s clan go?_ " Viridian asked his tone obvious that he didn't care one way or the other.

 

"Better than we both thought. Kal and his clan, minus Spar and Jaing, have agreed to join our alliance." Tau triumphantly said, which made Viridian's eyes shoot wide up in pure shock.

 

" _Well, that went better than I thought._ " Viridian admitted, " _Wait Jaing... the one from Arda?_ "

 

"Yeah. Believe it or not, he's a bounty hunter now. He supported the alliance, but preferred to fight his own battles. It didn't help that Ventis is still my apprentice. And Spar is... well, Spar." Tau admitted, which Viridian nodded in understanding.

 

" _Not much lost with him._ " Viridian muttered in annoyance, " _Wait a minute... how did Jaing find out about Ventis?_ "

 

"Well, we ran into him on Roxuli, just before we reached Alderaan and met with our senatorial allies, and he helped us out of a jam before he tried to kill Ventis, thinking that he was still Gallies. We explained things to him, and he understood, but declined our offer to join the Alliance. I'm still holding out hope for him." Tau explained.

 

" _I see. I don't think it’s going to happen Tau._ " Viridian sighed, " _Jaing, for all his stance on honor, does not hold a high opinion of the Jedi, the only way I see it only the squad can bring him back._ "

 

"Well, I guess it's up to Iluvatar now, as he is a very strong-willed individual." Tau said, deciding to put the matter to rest, as he needed to plan his next course of action with his fellow Jedi and leader.

 

" _On to other matters, is Celebion there? I have Jane and Niwen here._ " Viridian smiled

 

"Oh, of course." Tau said in a conspiratorially smile, and turned to face the Dunedain Ranger, beckoning for him to come over.

 

Viridian turned to someone out of camera, " _Just step forward._ " And up stepped Niwen and Jane, with Jane wrapping an arm around her.  
  
Celebion smiled, "Jane, Niwen how are you, in good health I hope?"  
  
Jane smiled, " _We are indeed, Dad._ "  
  
Celebion shook his head, "Jane, I have told you before you don't need to call me that."  
  
" _I know but I will anyway._ " Jane cheerfully replied.   
  
Celebion chuckled, "Are your family in good health?"  
  
Niwen nodded with a smile, " _Yes, they are, Jon has actually begun to start walking again._ "  
  
"Oh Iluvatar be praised. That is wonderful news." Celebion smiled as he remembered the crippled man.  
  
" _There is more._ " Niwen continued, and placed a hand on her stomach, " _Jane and I are having a baby._ "  
  
Celebion's eyes went alight with joy and he breathed in through his nose and resisted the urge to hug the couple as they were holographic projection, "That, is wonderful news!" He exclaimed, his voice full of pure joy. "How long have you known?"  
  
Niwen smiled, " _I am about seven weeks along. I found out two weeks ago._ "

 

“Keep my appraised of any changes, as I want to be there when my third grandchild is born.” Celebion said as he felt tears of pure joy flow from his face, while everyone else had smiles of their own on their faces at the news.

 

“ _You got it, Dad._ ” Jane said, and Celebion didn’t shake his head this time, as he was distracted by the jubilation that he was experiencing right now.

 

Viridian then said, “ _Hey, sorry to cut this short, but I’ve got to get back to class._ _Fortunately, it’s actually one that I enjoy: Combat class._ _Not to mention that these two have two other kids to take care of. Good luck on your recruitment efforts, and I’ll see you at Lah’mu in a few weeks. Iluvatar be with you all._ ” With that, the communication ended, leaving the eleven members of the _Second Chance_ alone to consider their next move before they all met with Clan Skirata.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, that’s a wrap on the nineteenth chapter of Star Wars: Shadow Wars: Foundation. And to think that I wrote it in only two days. Too bad that I’ll be busy with homework, work, and transferring to a four year college soon, and I won’t be able to write as often as I like. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this chapter, as I think that the next one will be the last one that takes place in the Commenor System. After this, the crew of the Second Chance may split up in order to recruit more allies for the Shadow Alliance. Who they are, I won’t tell, and you’ll just have to guess. So, guess away, my friends. Oh, and, before I forget, let me explain a few things: first off, Spar refused help from Tau due to his pride and hatred for the Jedi, and will not be in my story much, if at all. Second, yes, Akuu and Jarael want to redeem Chelli Lona Aphra from her path of self-destruction, as Edaan taught them to try and see the best in everyone, which means that they’ll try to save Aphra from herself. Whetehr they will succeed or not will be anyone’s guess. Well, that’s it for this chapter, which was completed on February 8, 2018. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	21. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone. How are you doing on the afternoon of February 9, 2018? I’m doing well, as always, as I did some homework and volunteering today, which frees me up for a few hours of writing, which I plan to use well. Listen, I have a request for you guys: Can you pray for my friend and fellow fanfiction DaWitcher, as he is in Afghanistan right now as a soldier for the United States forces that are stationed there, and I want to look out for a friend? Anyway, back to fanfiction. Can you believe that it has been two years and six days since I started writing fanfiction? I can’t, and I’ve written over five hundred thousand words in that timeframe, even with a six-month break from writing. Man, how things have changed since those days. So, with Jaing and Spar gone, our heroes need to plan their next move with Clan Skirata, and then step up their recruitment efforts in gathering specialists and Jedi for the Shadow Alliance’s growing ranks. And, I need to plan for Sidious and Vader’s next moves, as they have a growing number of problems right from under them, not just in the form of the Shadow Alliance. Well, I’d better get started, as this chapter won’t write itself, and I won’t be able to write as much this weekend due to work. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me.

_Two Hours Later_

_Within the Residence of Clan Skirata_

As the crewmembers of the _Second Chance_ entered Clan Skirata’s home, Kal took notice of each individual: there were the six members that everyone already knew, Tau Palpatine, Ahsoka Tano, Akuu Seii II, Jarael Chantique, R9-G6, and Butch; Kal also saw Nagme Jamaane, the former Master Shaper for the Yuuzhan Vong before defecting to the Shadow Alliance, Rahm Kota, one of the few Jedi Generals who rejected using the Clone Troopers due to professional reasons, which, ironically, saved his life during Order Sixty-Six; A’Sharad Hett, an accomplished Jedi Master during the Clone War, as well as the son of legendary Jedi Knight and Sand People leader Sharad Hett; Celebion, a Dunedain Ranger from the Unknown Regions world of Arda, and a human woman and male.

 

As soon as the unknown human male, who appeared to be petrified at being in the same room as the Mandalorians, was recognized, the revelation nearly made Kal and his four fellow _Cuy'val Dar_ members reach for their weapons in order to blast who they believed to be a vile criminal and Inquisitor into his basic microscopic particles. It was only due to Etain and Bardan, who looked at them in a way that urged restraint, at least until explanations were made on Tau and Gallies’s part.

 

Tau, sensing the tension coming from the seven Mandalorians, sent out a telepathic urge for Celebion, Ventis, Butch, and Ahsoka to walk with him as he approached the two former Jedi and five former _Cuy’val Dar_ with as much certainty and determination that he could muster, considering that he was protecting a former rapist, arms dealer, and Dark Jedi.

 

Mij then whispered, “You’d better have a damn good reason for teaming up with Gallies, one of the worst criminals in recent history, Tau, or we’ll gut you both down.”

 

“Like many of us here, _Ventis_ was a victim and pawn of the Sith.” Celebion said in defense of his friend as he spoke the man’s true name, which Ventis greatly appreciated, as he could not blame these people for wanting him dead, not when he often wished that he was dead as well.

 

Realizing that this would not be the best place to talk about a notorious criminal’s past, Rav Bralorsaid, “This way.” The twelve allies then quietly went to the residence’s hangar, where several ships of various designs and sizes rested in case the Mandalorian clan needed to make a quick escape from the Commenor System.

 

As soon as the twelve beings were in the middle of the hangar, Walon angrily told Celebion, “Well, we’re away from any prying eyes, so start talking. What did you mean when you said that Gallies is a victim and pawn of the Sith?”

 

“Did you know these two people, Rugess Nome and Hego Damask II?” Celebion suddenly said, which confused the seven mercenaries, as they did not expect such a random question.

 

“The legendary Bith starship designer and Muun leader of the Intergalactic Banking Clan? Of course we knew of them before their deaths. What’s the point of this line of questions?” Kal said, remembering his lessons from his adopted father, Munin Skirata, on some of the most non-Jedi influential figures in the galaxy.

 

“Then I’m guessing that you don’t know that they were the last Dark Lords of the Sith before Sidious.” Ahsoka said, which shocked them, as they did not expect that response in the slightest.

 

“Several decades ago,” Tau sadly began, after getting a reluctant nod from Ventis to tell his story, “Ventis was taken from his family by Darth Tenebrous, the Bith, and his apprentice, Darth Plagueis, the Muun. In an effort to create a corrupted version of the Midi-Chlorians that could permanently sever a Jedi’s connection to the Force, they performed… very heinous and intrusive experiments on him, eventually breaking his mind leaving him a shell of his former self. Tragically, that was only the beginning.”

 

“What could be worse than being a test subject of the Sith’s experiments?” Etain sadly said, now feeling a great deal of sympathy for the man who was clearly suffering as this story was told.

 

“How abou being turned into a loose cannon that served the Sith’s agenda?” Celebion sarcastically asked before he continued the disturbing tale, saying, “Once the Sith learned that Ventis had a powerful connection to the Force, they reshaped his mind into a perversion of what it once was, and set him loose onto the galaxy in order to serve as a distraction for the Jedi while the Sith continued their supposed ‘Grand Plan’. He then committed the crimes that he was known for, before he was locked away by Daniel Valo, and, through investigating a massive database of old records, and by interviewing Ventis’s own brother, he learned of his father’s fate, and he committed himself to helping him. Thanks to his own son, who owed him nothing after all that he put his mother, Naomi Valo, through, his mind was restored to what it was before the Sith made him into, and, despite the despair that permeates his mind, he is now the apprentice of Tau in the Jedi Arts in order to atone for Gallies’s crimes. ”

 

Once the Dunedain Ranger finished the glimpse into Ventis’s tortured soul, everyone looked at the broken man with mixtures of pity and respect for what the man had to endure for so long, and for, despite the odds stacked agaisnt him, trying to make a better man out of himself after so many years of being mentally imprisoned.

 

As tears came freely from his eyes, Ventis quietly said, “I... I’m sorry for causing all of this trouble. I’ll just go back to the ship so that I don’t make a scene.”

 

“Actually, Ventis, how about we give you some tea?” Kal awkwardly said, as, while he still had a great deal of anger towards the man, the rage was greatly diminished when he found out about the Apprentice’s tragic past.

 

“I-I don’t know about that.” Ventis hesitatingly said as he looked at the man who called out Naomi’s loyalty to the Jedi Code when he found out that she bore a child, and felt a mixture of fear and anger at the man who insulted his son. Fortunaately for both men, he also remembered how Kal, when he found out the circumstances behind Daniel’s conception, greatly apologized for calling Naomi a hypocrite to her beliefs.

 

“Come on, Ventis. He’s offering a chance to start over, and you won’t get a better offer from a stubborn man like Kal Skirata.” Tau encouragingly said, before he continued, saying, “We’ll be with you every step of the way, as that’s what friends are for. Celebion can even sing the ‘Tale of Beren and Luthien’, if you want.”

 

Taking strength from the younger Jedi and his friends, Ventis said, “Very well. Just keep the insults on my son and his mother out of the conversation, and I’ll be all right. And, Celebion, get ready to sing the tale.”

 

“Deal.” Kal said, and the seven Mandalorians led the five crewmembers of the _Second Chance_ back to the main hall.

 

As they did so, however, Etain suddenly asked Ahsoka, “So, Ahsoka, how long have you and Tau been in a relationship?”

 

Since the question caught the Rebel Intelligence leader off-guard, she did not respond for a few seconds, and blushed a fierce shade of crimson as she incredulously asked, “How could you possibly know that?”

 

“I know a few things about falling in love, Ahsoka. Plus, I can sense a subtle connection between the two of you, and the fact that you’re stealing as many glances as possible at him as you can.” Etain proudly said, while the rest of the Mandalorians, and even Celebion, were laughing at Ahsoka’s embarrassment at the situation.

 

After sighing at knowing that she couldn’t lie after Etain’s clever observation, the former Jedi Padawan embarrassingly said, “Three days. It’s been three days since we started our relationship, and since we had our first kiss.” 

 

“Did you really need to tell them that last part, Ahsoka?” Tau said in exasperation as he rubbed his forehead at his girlfriend’s blurting out of their first instance of lip contact.

 

“What? You mean to tell us that a descendent of Darth Sidious is self-conscious of having his first kiss with a beautiful woman?” Walon said in-between fits of laughter.

 

“No. I just prefer to not tell everyone about our relationship, seeing how, if someone told the wrong person, it could end up in Sidious and Vader’s hands, and, given their connections to ecah of us, use them to bring us down.” Tau explained, making Kal, Mij, Etain, and Bardan nod in sympathy and understanding, as everyone within Kal’s clan knew, thanks to the ex-Stormtrooper Jaing, how Vader was really Anakin Skywalker after his fall to the Dark Side, and was Ahsoka’s Jedi master during her time with the Order.

 

“Good point.” Bardan said as he continued to speak, saying to Celebion, “So, what is this song that you’re going to sing, Celebion? Is it anything like ‘Fires of War’, or is it more like ‘The Greatest Adventure’?”

 

“It’s a tale of how two star-crossed lovers faced great perils, and the wrath of the first Dark Lord of my world, the evil Valar called Morgoth, in order to find true love.” Celebion answered as the eleven people and one Tuk’ata hound returned to the others, where they saw the various peoples conversing with each other in simple matters in order to get to know each other better.

 

Etain saw her six-year-old son, Kad Skirata, speaking with A’Sharad Hett, and, she felt a twinge of fear within her heart at the suspicion that he was trying to recruit him into the Jedi Order, which was her worst fear, as she wanted her son to grow up to be a free Mandalorian. Before she could say anything, however, she saw Darman with her son, and her fears alieviated significantly, as she knew that he would fight the entire galaxy, even Kal, if need be, in order to protect their son.

 

She then left the group in order to speak with the Jedi Master from Tatooine. But, before she could do so, he said, “Don’t worry, Etain. I have no intention of taking your son. I just finished explaining that to your husband.”

 

“Good, because he is off-limits.” Etain sternly said as she tried to breathe in her fears, and exhale them as her deceased Jedi Master, Kast Fullier, taught her during her time as his Padawan. She then said, “So, what do you think of Tau Palpatine?”

 

After taking a moment to consider the question, A’Sharad said, “I think that he is an honorable man that is trying to take on a terrible burden of trying to save the entire galaxy. It is fortunate for all of us that he has the foresight to recruit good people to help him in his mission, or the pressure would more than likely warp him into another version of his ancestor.”

 

“You make him sound like he’s supposed to be the next Edaan Palpatine.” Etain said in disbelief, as she could hardly believe that, after Darth Sidious’s vile example, two Force-Sensitive Palpatines were trying to serve the Light Side of the Force in order to rebuild a dark galaxy.

 

“I do no know for sure, Etain. What I do know is that he is right in taking action against the Sith and these other dangers, because, if we do nothing, then that is no better than actively aiding the evils that are coming.” A’Sharad responded. He then continued, saying, “That is why Tau has so many plans in place to help strengthen the galaxy for what is on the way, such as ressurecting the Mandalorian Knights from the Mandalorian Wars in order to help defend Mandalorian Space from the Yuuzhan Vong when they do invade.”

 

After a moment of coming to grips with what Etain was told, suddenly several questions were answered, and she accusingly said, “You want me, Bardan, and Kad to be a part of this plan of Tau’s don’t you?”

 

“Only with your permission, Etain, as we don’t intend to repeat Dorjander Kace’s sins in trying to kidnap children for his order’s ranks.” Tau said as he approached the four warriors, sitting down next to Darman as he smiled at Kad, who eagerly returned the smile. He then said, “Look, we’re not going to force you into anything, but, in my opinion, which comes from my brother’s memories of fighting and leading a war-torn galaxy, people fight longer and harder for their homes and loved ones, and your clan, as well as most of your people, have both of that in abundance. Not to mention that this could serve to help the Mandalorians that are Force-Sensitive explore their gifts in a way that can help their people survive. And, this could help heal the rift between the Mandalorians and Jedi, and help all of us protect the galaxy from all of the menaces of the galaxy. Don’t you think that the idea might be worth considering?”

 

Darman noncomittingly said, “Maybe, Tau. We’d need more time to consider the offer. And, not to put a damper in your plans, but, where would we even get teachers that would be willing to train Force-Sensitive Mandalorians?”

 

“I know a few people, and a Force-Sensitive Mandalorian, who might be able to assist you and Bardan when their missions in the Unknown Regions are over.” Tau suggested, which immediately caught the wedded couple’s attention. Tau, seeing that he had them right where he wanted them, continued, saying, “Rarok Cadera, a Mandalorian that’s under the payroll of an anti-Imperial senator, is training in the ways of the Force with several of my friends in the Unknown Regions, and, once their missions there, they might be willing to help train the first generation of Mandalorian Knights. In additon, there are a few others who might be able to help you, such as Master Kota, Ahsoka, and Arden, who are experts in combat, and can help integrate Jedi combat styles into your people’s fighitng styles and their use of technology.”   

 

“Does _Buir_ know of thism idea of yours?” Darman asked, and received a nod of approval from Tau, and then incredulously said, “And he’s on board with this crazy scheme of yours?”

 

“Eh… Right now, he’s on the fence about it.” Tau admitted before he saw Bardan calling for everyone to quiet down, and he motioned for the rest of his friends to keep quiet as Bardan began to speak.

 

Bardan then said, “Sorry to interrupt, but Celebion is going to give us a one-man presentation of a song from his home world of Arda. So, if you could quiet down, he can begin.”

 

“Thank you, Bardan.” Celebion gratefully said as he stood from his seat, and then said, “This song is over six thousand years old, and is about the story of the human outlaw Beren, and the Elven princess Lúthien Tinúviel, who found love in each other despite the obstacles that obstructed their path.” He then began to sing in a melodic voice, singing,

 

“ _The leaves were long, the grass was green,_  
The hemlock-umbels tall and fair,  
And in the glade a light was seen  
Of stars in shadow shimmering.  
Tinúviel was dancing there  
To music of a pipe unseen,  
And light of stars was in her hair,  
And in her raiment glimmering.  
  
There Beren came from mountains cold,  
And lost he wandered under leaves,  
And where the Elven-river rolled  
He walked alone and sorrowing.  
He peered between the hemlock-leaves  
And saw in wonder flowers of gold  
Upon her mantle and her sleeves,  
And her hair like shadow following.  
  
Enchantment healed his weary feet  
That over hills were doomed to roam;  
And forth he hastened, strong and fleet,  
And grasped at moonbeams glistening.  
Through woven woods in Elvenhome  
She lightly fled on dancing feet,  
And left him lonely still to roam  
In the silent forest listening.  
  
He heard there oft the flying sound  
Of feet as light as linden-leaves,  
Or music welling underground,  
In hidden hollows quavering.  
Now withered lay the hemlock-sheaves,  
And one by one with sighing sound  
Whispering fell the beachen leaves  
In the wintry woodland wavering.  
  
He sought her ever, wandering far  
Where leaves of years were thickly strewn,  
By light of moon and ray of star  
In frosty heavens shivering.  
Her mantle glinted in the moon,  
As on a hill-top high and far  
She danced, and at her feet was strewn  
A mist of silver quivering.  
  
When winter passed, she came again,  
And her song released the sudden spring,  
Like rising lark, and falling rain,  
And melting water bubbling.  
He saw the elven-flowers spring  
About her feet, and healed again  
He longed by her to dance and sing  
Upon the grass untroubling.  
  
Again she fled, but swift he came.  
Tinúviel! Tinúviel!  
He called her by her elvish name;  
And there she halted listening.  
One moment stood she, and a spell  
His voice laid on her: Beren came,  
And doom fell on Tinúviel  
That in his arms lay glistening.  
  
As Beren looked into her eyes  
Within the shadows of her hair,  
The trembling starlight of the skies  
He saw there mirrored shimmering.  
Tinúviel the elven-fair,  
Immortal maiden elven-wise,  
About him cast her shadowy hair  
And arms like silver glimmering.  
  
Long was the way that fate them bore,  
O'er stony mountains cold and grey,  
Through halls of ireon and darkling door,  
And woods of nightshade morrowless.  
The Sundering Seas between them lay,  
And yet at last they met once more,  
And long ago they passed away  
In the forest singing sorrowless.”

 

Once Celebion ceased singing, he was faced with applause and clapping from every member of the Shadow Alliance, including the as-of-yet undecided Sull. The Dunedain Ranger then bowed in modest thanks of the praise that he was receiving.

 

“Well, that was an excellent song, Celebion. I hope that there are more of those, because I’ll be staying for the long run of the Shadow Alliance.” Sull said, which flabbergasted each and every person that was in this room, as they did not expect the answer from the rogue ARC Trooper in the slightest.

 

After a series of incoherent sputtering from Tau, Kal cut him off, saying, “Why the change of heart, Sull? I thought that you wanted to get to know Tau better before you committed.”

 

“I’m not doing this for the Jedi, not even Tau and his friends, as pleasant they are. I’m doing this for you guys, and the rest of the Mandalorians, not to mention the rest of my brothers that are suffering thanks to the Sith’s sick plans.” Sull said in complete honesty, which Tau appreciated, as he nodded his understanding at Sull’s position.

 

“All right. I think that now would be a good time to plan our next move, as we’ve got exactly six weeks unitl the summit at Lah’mu, and I we need to get as many Jedi and renegade Clone Troopers in our ranks before it happens.” Tau proposed, and most of the people agreed, as they had spent more than enough time conversing among each other.

 

“You know where to find more Clone Troopers that defied Order Sixty-Six?” Walon said, not willing to believe that Tau knew where at least a few Clone Troopers defied Sidious’s schemes.

 

“Yes, Walon. There’s the two surviving members of Ion Team that willingly defied Order Sixty-Six on Murkhana before being imprisoned on Agon Nine; HOB-147, who saved a group of Jedi Younglings after the Empire was created; a clone trooper known as Able 1707, who was trapped on a desreted planet less than a year after the Clone War began, and joined the Rebel Alliance a few months after the Battle of Yavin; and Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor, for starters. And, once we get the proof that the Kaminoans implanted the regular Clone Troopers with control chips, we can rally countless Clone Stormtroopers into our ranks.” Tau said, which made Walon uncomforatble, as the latter would not believe that Jango Fett would willingly put control chips into the clones that were supposed to preserve the Mandalorian traditions, despite his burning desire to get revenge on the Jedi for their decimation of his men nearly thirty years ago.

 

Privately, Tau agreed with Walon, as he knew that Jango, despite his flaws, was a man of honor, as evidenced by his friendships, his strong and nurturing bond with Boba, and his saving of Coruscant five years before the Clone War from Ashaar Khorda, the rogue general of the Annoo-dat Prime that tried to destroy the capital world through the usage of a Force artifact known as the Infant of Shaa.

 

“One step at a time, Tau.” Akuu counseled to his friend, and the group then began to strategize their plans for the duration of the next six weeks, as well as prepare for Clan Skirata’s departure form the Commenor System.

 

_Two Days Later_

_Forty Days_ _Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah’mu_

_In Orbit Above Commenor_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

As the _Second Chance_ , as well as the several shuttles that comprised Clan Skirata’s naval force, prepared to depart the Commonor System in order to complete their various missions in order to bolster the Shadow Alliance’s ranks before the expected betrayal of Saw Gerrera, Tau and Akuu were in communication with Rahm and Kal, who were on the _Aay'han_ , a Mon Calamari DeepWater-Class light freighter that helped Kal capture Ko Sai over five years previously, and were planning to rescue Able from being stranded on Lubang Minor before, with the aged codes provided to them by Colonel Yularen, breaking into Agon Nine in order to bust out Climber and Trace, as well as rescue and recruit as many Confederate prisoners as they could save from the hellish prison that held them.

 

On Tau’s end, he and Bardan, who agreed to help Tau with his goal in rescuing a few Jedi, including the Dark Woman, K’Kruhk, and a Jedi Covenant Shadow known as Celeste Morne, from the Empire and the spirit of Karness Muur, respectively, were planning a rendezvous with Kal once their missions were complete. They also hoped to recruit Imperial Commander Teron and Captain Denimoor, Imperial naval commanders of the planet Arkinnea and the Venerator-class Star Destoyer _Tenacious_ , respectively, along with as many of their forces as they could, when they went to recruit K’Kruhk and his group of Jedi Younglings.

 

“All right. We’ll meet at Dantooine in two weeks, as there’s a Whiplash base there that we can trust.” Tau said to Kal, who nodded in approval at the Jedi’s choice of a rendezvous point.

 

“ _Agreed. We’ll be back with shiploads of recruits, and you’ll be back with your Jedi and ex-Imperials. Good luck, Tau. You’re gonna need it._ ” Kal said as he ended his communication with Tau.

 

The ten ships of Clan Skirata’s small fleet then entered hyperspace, and the _Second Chance_  then followed suit, heading to Cophrigin V in order to recruit An’ya Kuro, the birth name of the Dark Woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends the 20th chapter of my seventh story. So, what did you guys think, as it sets the stage for more recruitment among our hereos in order to strengthen their ranks before the Lah’mu summit? I think that it went well. So, are you guys aware that I have now surpassed over ninety thousand words in this sotry in just over a month? I don’t know about you, but that fills me with such joy and pride. And, it makes me even happier that I can honor the Expanded Universe in my own way through helping Squasher with his AU. So, I won’t be able to write too much tomorrow, due to having to go to work early in the morning, which likely means that my next update will be on Tuesday. Well, “The Tale of Beren and Luthien” belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien, and this story will continue to have many, many, many inclusions of the EU, which I always enjoy. I guess that that’s it for the night of February 10, 2018. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	22. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone. How are you doing on the night of February 11, 2018? I’m all right, if a bit tired, as I went to church early in the morning, and then worked a hard 6 ½ hours at my movie theater. At least I managed to read a good chunk of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The History of Middle-Earth: Volume 12: The Peoples of Middle-Earth, which made me nesrly finish the book. I’d better choose my next book to read, as I have dozens to choose from. So, have you guys been craving more Expanded Universe-related material, because I know that I have? I hunger for the day that the powers in charge of Lucasfilm realize that the Expanded Universe deserves to continue in some greater capacity than what its current output it. Oh, and, in other news, as of this point, I have nearly written one hundred and seventy pages in my story via Microsoft Word. And to think that it’s only been 36 days since I started this story. Anyway, I’d better get to writing, as I only have two days until I have school again, and three days until I have to work again. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me.

_Three Days Later_

_Thirty-Seven Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah’mu_

_In the Outer Rim Territories_

_On Cophrigin V_

An’ya Kuro, formerly known as the Dark Woman among her colleagues within the Jedi Order, prepared to meet her former pupil, A”Sharad Hett, at her clearing within her private garden in the world within the Ash World Sector after receiving a transmission from him. At first, she did not believe it, and suspected a trap by either Darth Vader or the notorious Jedi hunter, Aurra Sing, the one Padawan that An’ya failed to train as a Jedi before her fall to darkness. However, she then sensed the presences of several Jedi enter the Cophrigin System, inlcuding A’Sharad, and she awaited the surprising reunion.

 

After twenty minutes, the ship that A’Sharad was in landed in her private garden, and the docking ramp opened to show several Jedi, inlcuding the former Padawan of the fallen Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, former Jedi Knight-turned Mandalorian Bardan Jusik, and a Tuk’ata hound that exhibited a strong affiliation to the Light Side of the Force, which greatly baffled the Jedi Master.

 

As A’Sharad led the way, he greeted his former master by offering her a handshake, and she, in an uncharacteristic display of affection, hugged the former Tusken with full force, which he awkwardly reciprocated.

 

Once the two Jedi separated, A’Sharad gently smiled as he said, “It is good to see you too, Master.”

 

“Oh, don’t call me ‘Master’, A’Sharad. You’ve outgrown me.”  An’ya scoffed as she saw the rest of her guests, and said, “Well, don’t stand there like a bunch of stiff nerfs. Come on, come on. I’ll have a friend of mine whip you up some fresh soup.”

 

As the six Force-Sensitives and Tuk’ata hound followed the exiled Jedi Master into her hut, Tau, recalling from Edaan’s memories when he studied within Shedu Maad’s Jedi Archives, remembered how difficult the Dark Woman was to get along with, confusingly asked A’Sharad, “Was she ever like this when you trained under her?”

 

“No. To be honest, she was very stern, and her teaching methods could be quite brutal.” The Jedi Master honestly replied, just as shocked at the older woman’s behavior as everyone else was.

 

Soon enough, the group was led into An’ya’s hut, and they were astouned to see a blind Veknoid with a cane preparing soup for seven people and a pet, and the Veknoid then greeted the group and said, “Ah, Master Hett, Ahsoka Tano. Now I see why the Force compelled me to come here. It was to see you and learn of your new purpose.” 

 

“Master Zao. It is good to see that you survived the Empire’s formation.” A’Sharad gratefully said as he bowed to such an experienced Jedi Master, as he knew of his service to the Force over the Jedi Council and its allegiance to the dead Old Republic. 

 

Tau, on the other hand, was confused to see the blind Jedi Master here, as he thought that he would be pursuing the fallen Jedi Youngling Sidirri after her deserting her fellow Younglings and her teacher, K’Kruhk two years after arriving at Arkinnea. He then said, “Master Zao, I must admit theat I did not expect to see you here. I thought that you would be pursuing Sidirri, or helping the downtrodden of the galaxy in any way that you could.”

 

“I was doing just that, young Jedi, when I felt a call in the Force to come stay with Master Kuro until she met her guests. Which begs the question of just who you are, as I can sense a powerful connection within you that surpasses all but the most powerful Jedi in the Order.” Zao graciously said.

 

“Well, you’re not one to beat around the bush, aren’t you?” Tau sarcastically asked, as he began praying to Iluvatar that neither Zao or An’ya would attack him when he told them his family name, and hurriedly said, “My name is Tau Palptaine. I am the descendant of Emperor Palpatine, and I was sent seventy years into the past by the Celestials in order to help save the galaxy from so many dangers, including the Sith and rogue Celestials.”

 

Contrary to what the Jedi clone expected, neither the Dark Woman or Zao appeared the least bit fazed or enraged by the revelation of his name and origins, and the Veknoid Jedi Master said, “I see. That explains what was the disturbance in the Force that I felt two years ago.” He then offered the Jedi Knight two bowls of soup, and said, “I believe that you and your Tuk’ata hound would like a bowl of my soup. I suspect that you know how my soup is supposed to taste.”

 

Baffled beyond belief at the friendly way Zao was treating him, and, knowing that the soup was meant to determine a person’s alignment and balance in the Force, he gave a bowl to Butch, who began to devour the meal with a fervor, as the Tuk’ata hound could not get enough of the nutritious meal that he was receiving after months of feeding off of Light Side energy. He then took a sip of the soup, and found it to be very delicious, but with a tiny bitterness in the center.

 

“It’s good.” Tau simply said, not willing to go into details with Zao about his own internal conflict of his war strategies with a man who followed the Will of the Force in a peaceful manner.

 

Zao, sensing that there was more to Tau’s comment than what he was willing to share right now, nodded in appreciation, and offered the five remaining bowls of soup to the rest of his guests. They graciously accepted, and the each gave their own reactions to first tasting the soup. An’ya and Ahsoka commented on its sweetness, while Arden and Bardan said that it was very spicy, Ventis told him of how sour it was, and A’Sharad said of how the soup reminded him of the hubba bread from Tatooine.

 

“Well, well, I did not expect such diverse reactions to my soup. It was a truly enlightening experience for me.” Zao said in appreciation of learning of the people’s balance within the Force. He then tapped down on his lightsaber cane, and said to Tau, “Now then, young Palpatine, why have you come here? I hope that it is not to recruit me to fight against the Empire, because I know that now is not the time for it to fall.”

 

“No, Master Zao. I was hoping to recruit our host in helping to rebuild the Jedi Order in the Unknown Regions. Finding you was just an unexpected bonus.” Tau truthfully admitted, which immediately caught the two Jedi Masters’ attention.

 

“Well, you certainly don’t think small, Tau.” An’ya said as she began to feel a stirring of hope for the Jedi within her soul, which she kept hidden from everyone in order to maintain her stoic disposition.

 

“That he doesn’t, Master.” Ahsoka said as she looked at Tau with both pride and... something that the brash Jedi Master did not expect to find from the former Padawan in these dark times, the beginnings of a mutual attraction between the two of them.

 

Forming a smug grin on her face a she spoke, she said to Tau and Ahsoka in jest, “Forming attachments, are we, young ones? That is dangerous, especially for a Jedi in these dark times.”

 

“Not as dangerous as the things that you’ve done during your time as a Jedi, An’ya Kuro.” Tau heatedly said, as he would not allow anyone, regardless of their rank in the old Jedi Order, to come between him and the woman that he cared deeply for.

 

Raising her hands in a conciliatory gesture, she said, “Relax, Tau. I was only joking around with you. My views on a lot of things have been forced to be reevaluated after the Empire rose.” Sensing the truth in the grizzled Jedi Master’s words, Tau calmed down, and nodded in appreciation of her understanding. Once she was certain that she wouldn’t be attacked by Tau or Butch, who looked angry at his master being enraged over an insensitive comment, she asked, “You said that you were from the future, Tau, and were sent here to help prepare the galaxy for threats beyond the Sith. What are these threats?”

 

_Two Hours Later_

 

Tau was relieved that he finished speaking, as he was getting tired of telling the same story over and over again to potential allies. As the two Jedi contemplated the revelations of the Yuuzhan Vong, Killiks, the Knights of Opalka, the Nephilim, and various rogue Celestials and their abominations that existed within the known and unknown galaxy, A’Sharad took the opportunity to say, “Tau needs all the help he can get in rebuilding the Jedi Order into something greater than what it once was, as well as building his Shadow Alliance. He and his friends saved me from my own darkness when I was drowning in it, and I am here to help a friend make sure that he does not go down a similar path in his lust to protect the galaxy.” 

 

“A noble goal, Tau. But, why do you need my help, as you seem to have everything figured out on what you need to do?” Zao asked, knowing that this would answer all of his questions on the young Palpatine.

 

“Because many of the ideas that I have will involve… painful compromises, and I need good people by my side if I’m going to stay true to Iluvatar’s teachings, and to myself.” Tau honestly said, before he continued, saying, “We have a plan to gain control of the majority of my ancestor’s devastating superweapons that are in development, and I don’t want to go mad with power and try to impose my will upon the galaxy as Sidious is trying to.”

 

Now Zao had his answer to the young Jedi’s dilemma: He genuinely wanted to protect the people of the galaxy from the dangers of his time, but he was at a crossroads on how to do so. He could either take control of the Emperor’s arsenal of superweapons, all but ensuring the safety of the people from these dangers, but increasing his risk of falling into darkness; or, he could place his trust in the Force, or Iluvatar, as he was the one who created the Force, and believe that a solution would present itself. He then said, “Why do you believe that these planet-destroying weapons would be key to stopping the enemies of Iluvatar, Tau Palpatine?”

 

“I would never use their full power, Master Zao, only ten percent of the Death Star’s superlaser, which should be more than enough to destroy moons and cities, the former of which is how large the Yuuzhan Vong’s capital ships can grow to. And, Sauron’s Orcs have many hideouts and breeding grounds within the hidden places of the galaxy, which I would want to destroy, because they cannot be reasoned with. The only mercy that we can give them is the sweet release of death.” Tau explained, both in an effort to rationalize the conflict within his soul, and to gain the support of the two Jedi Masters.

 

An’ya said, “This is a slippery slope that you are on, Tau. If you fail, or the weapons fall into the wrong hands, then the freedom and safety of the entire galaxy is at even greater risk of falling into eternal darkness.”

 

“Believe me, we know, Dark Woman.” Ventis said in understanding, before he continued, saying, “But, he helped me overcome my own dark prison that the Sith constructed for me, and is helping me learn how to use my gifts in the Force for good, so I will follow him to the ends of the galaxy if I have to.”

 

“And, Tau gave me a second chance after I helped try to destroy the Jedi Order with Xendor during the First Great Schism, so I owe him my life.” Arden said in complete honesty, which shocked the two Jedi Masters, as they did not expect to see a follower of the leader of the Legions of Lettow alive after over twenty-four thousand years. She then quickly said, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill any Jedi like I did all of those millennia ago. As a matter of fact, I’m going to help Tau rebuild the Jedi Order, as his Order was willing to take decisive action against its true enemies, and tolerates other interpretations of the Force, as long as they’re morally sound, which I can live with.”

 

“I’m helping Tau because he has a plan to help save as many Clone Troopers as we can from his ancestor’s web of lies and slavery that have trapped them all within his Empire.” Bardan said, knowing that he would be questioned next in his motives for helping Tau with his mad schemes.

 

“And what about your Tuk’ata hound, Tau. Why does he follow you?” Zao said, curious as to why he could sense the Light Side emanating from a normally dark species.

 

“Because, Master Zao, Butch was implanted with a piece of my brother’s soul, which was the purest in all of the galaxy in my time, in order to find a guide that could navigate the Shadow Alliance of his time through the catacombs of Korriban so that they could stop Darth Krayt’s One Sith. He then named him ‘Butch’ so that he could honor the name of a Rancor-dragon that was created by a Je’daii Ranger known as Shae Koda.” Tau simply said, which baffled Zao and An’ya, as they had never heard of such a technique. Continuing, he said, “It was a modified application of the Shielding Technique that the third Barsen'thor of the Jedi Order rediscovered a year before the Galactic War began between the Old Republic and Sith Empire of Vitiate.”

 

“Well, clearly your brother was a Jedi unlike any other that I have seen.” Zao said in praise of Edaan Palpatine’s personal character and range of abilities.

 

“That he was, Zao. That he was.” Tau wistfully said in agreement as he wished that his brother was here with him, as he was in desperate need of his counsel. He then said, “Look, I understand your doubts on my plan, but what about a compromise? You two can come to a rebel summit on Lah’mu in thirty-seven days, and hear what we have to say. If you disagree with the course of action that we agree upon, I’ll take you two to wherever you want to go. Does that sound fair?” 

 

Zao, after a moment of considering the offer, decided to place his trust in the Force, nodded his head and said, “Very well, Jedi Palpatine, I will come, and listen. At the very least, I can interact with more people again, and share my soup with them.”

 

Grateful for the willingness to hear what the Shadow Alliance had to say, Tau nodded his head in appreciation to the blind Jedi Master. He then turned his head to face the female human, and said, “What about you, Dark Woman? Will you come to the summit? We could use your espionage expertise for our cause, especially if Saw Gerrera tries to kill me during the meeting.”

 

At the mention of the Rebel cell leader and growing threat to the Empire, An’ya and Zao grew worried, as the two of them, through the Veknoid’s travels across the galaxy, and An’ya’s Holonet communicator, each knew of Saw’s slowly rising anger and indiscriminate rage at the Empire and its supporters.

 

“You have Gerrera and his Partisans within your alliance? I don’t know whether to commend your bravery, or curse you for your recklessness.” An’ya said in conern.

 

“Tell me about it.” Tau muttered in agreement, as he was counting on a trap in order to show everyone how dangerous unbridled hatred of anything was, and how the Shadow Alliance had to limit its covert war against the Empire in order to stabilize the galaxy in time to defend itself. “So, Master, are you coming to the summit, or should we leave you alone?”

 

“You helped save my former pupil from the darkness and grief that was consuming his soul after the Clone War, so I owe you a favor, Tau Palpatine. I will go to the summit on Lah’mu and hear what you all have to say. Then I will decide whether or not this Shadow Alliance is where I belong.” An’ya said in both gratitude for Tau’s actions, and confirmation of attending the first meeting between the Shadow Alliance’s various rebel cells.

 

As soon as An’ya said those words, Tau breathed a heavy sigh of relief, as he was immensely grateful for the tentative support that the two Jedi Masters were giving him. He then said, “Thank you, both of you. I appreciate the trust that you’re putting in me. I promise you that you will not regret it.”

 

“See that we don’t, Tau. Now, then, where are you heading to next, as I doubt that you will travel all of this way just to recruit two Jedi to help fight against entire armies?” Zao said in both a warning and a query.

 

“We’re going to speak with Master K’Kruhk on Arkinnea, and hopefully recruit the Imperials that helped him escape this Jedi purge.” Ahsoka said, which worried Zao considerably, as he did not want the Jedi Younglings that he bonded with and helped train for two years involved in a war at such young ages. 

 

The next words that came from Arden’s mouth mollified the Veknoid’s fears, as she said, “Don’t worry, Master Zao. We’re not going to send them off to war as children. We were planning on having them continue their training in the Force on Arda, where, when they’ve completed their training, they can help Master Depa Billaba keep the peace there from the Orcs and surviving Yuuzhan Vong that serve Sauron.”

 

Breathing a sigh of relief at this fact, Zao said, “Good. They’re too young to fight against the enemies of the galaxy, and they need more time to heal from the wounds that the Clone Troopers inflicted on them.”

 

“Agreed.” Tau said, not wanting to mention just yet that the Shadow Alliance already had an entire legion of Clone Troopers under their command, or that they were stationed on Arda and the other strongholds within the Unknown Regions. He then got up from his seat, and thankfully said, “Well, we appreciate the hospitality that you’ve given us, as well as the delicious soup, but we must really be getting on our way. We have, including Arkinnea, two more stops to make in the Expansion Region before we can meet with some of our other allies. May Iluvatar protect you all until we can meet again.”

 

With that said, the six people and one Tuk’ata hound left the hut, and departed the planet in order to head to the Expansion Region world of Arkinnea, where they prepared to head to the Hidden Temple that housed K’Kruhk and his eight Jedi Padawans under his tutelage.

_Two Hours Later_

_On the_ Aay'han

_Eighteen Hours from Agon Nine_

“You managed to get Zao and the Dark Woman to come to our summit?” Rahm said to Tau, impressed with his leader’s results from the first leg of his mission to rescue several Jedi and Jedi-sympathetic Imperials from the Empire’s reach.

 

“ _Barely, Master Kota. They weren’t too sold on some of our ideas, but they agreed to hear us out on how we plan to protect the galaxy. We should count ourselves very lucky that they did that._ ” Tau honestly said.

 

“Well, short help is better than no help.” Kal said. Tau then laughed loudly at the sentence that Kal had said, and the Mandalorian confusingly asked, “Something I said?”

 

“ _You- you just said a quote that Han Solo used the night before the Battle of Endor._ ” Tau said as his laughter died down, before he said, “ _It happened nineteen years from now, so don’t try to find that sentence, as it technically hasn’t been invented yet._ ”

 

“Well, then, Tau, you just invented a trademark quote.” Mij said as he injected himself into the conversation, and said, “So you’re hoping to get K’Kruhk, his Padawans, and several decent Imperials into the Shadow Alliance? Well, good luck.”

 

“ _Thank you, Mij. And, I wish you luck on your mission. I almost wish that I was with you guys, because I hate explaining the stakes to so many people, and I really want to be in the thick of battle again._ ” Tau replied.

 

“Well, you’ll get your fair share of action soon enough when you run into Celeste, Tau, so enjoy the simple recruiting while it lasts. You won’t find too much peace afterwards.” Rahm said as he ended the transmission, turned to face the two _Cuy’val Dar_ members, and said to Mij, “So, you ready to rescue two more of your boys?”

 

“Don’t I know it, Kota. I just hope that the codes that Yularen gave us are good, or we’ll never get through the Imperial blockade.” Mij replied.

 

“Don’t worry. I had Mereel and Ordo check the codes ten times over. They’ll work.” Kal said as he patted his friend’s shoulder for encouragement. He then said, “Let’s get some rest for tomorrow. We’re gonna need it if we’re going to bust out a few hundred Imperial POWs from a maximum security prison.”

 

“Agreed.” Rahm said, and the two leaders then went to their bunks to go to sleep, with a worried Mij following them, as he prayed to the _manda_ that two of the four only students that defied Order Sixty-Six and forged their own paths, despite the monumental opposition that the establishment put against them. After resolving to do whatever it took to save Climber and Trace from the hellish prison that Vader and his minions put them in for being true soldiers, he then went to his bunk in order to rest for the mission that began on the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends a chapter that I began in about twenty-four hours. I must say that I am pleased with the result, as it included Master Zao, who I decided on including in this chapter yesterday. I figured that he would be a good fit for this story, as it would give Tau another perspective in his war against the darkness both within and outside of himself. Don’t worry, you’ll see him and the Dark Woman again in this story. Now, onto the reviews that Quills in blood red ink sent me. First off, thank you for checking out my story, as I appreciate the interest that many people are having in my story, as it shows that my work is reaching others. Second, I thank you for the constructive criticism in the second review. I will do my best to include the suggestions in my remaining chapters, however many they might be. I honestly don’t know when I’ll stop writing, as I am in the zone right now. Anyway, the next chapter will center on Clan Skirata and Master Kota rescuing many prisoners from Imperial control, and will then return to Tau and the others on Arkinnea. I hope that you continue to read, review, and enjoy, as I love writing, and have a burning hope that one day, my ideas can become official in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. I know that it’s unlikely, but I have to try, as I love the EU beyond comprehension, as you no doubt know about me. Well, I guess that that’s it for the night of February 12, 2018. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	23. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone. How are you doing on this cool day of February 13, 2018? I’m doing well, except for being a bit woozy from giving blood a couple of hours ago, but I’ll bounce back in a day or two. So, now that the pleasantries are aside, let’s get started on this Mandalorian-centric chapter. Fair warning, there will be a lot of killing in this chapter, so be prepared for a lot of action. Oh, and, I don’t know if everyone will make it out of this rescue operation. By the way, as of now, I’ve written over ninety thousand words in this story. I am ecstatic with myself right now, as well as a bit sad, as I know that I will not be able to continue this hot streak for long, as I have both school and work to worry about soon. Well, enough chatting. Let’s get started!

_Seventeen Hours and Fifty Minutes Later_

_Thirty-Six Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah’mu_

_Ten Minutes From Agon Nine_

“All right. Is everyone ready to bust out a bunch of Imperial POWs?” Walon enthusiastically said as he finished the briefing for the inevitable mission of two Republic Commandos, along with hundreds of Confederate mercenaries, on the dungeon world of Agon Nine.

 

After receiving several roars from the team leaders of Clan Skirata, he shouted, “Good! Now, let’s show these Imp _aruetii_ the reason why they should fear the _Mando’ade_! _OYA_!!!”

 

“OYA!!!” He heard over the _Aay'han_ ’s holonet communicator, and satisfyingly shut off the transceiver, and turned to face Kal, Mij, Etain, and Rahm, and smugly said, “And _that_ is how you get an army ready for battle.”

 

“Oh, please. You should have seen the battle speeches that my people gave before the wars ended. Now they knew how to get a crowd going.” Rahm scoffed in mock supremacy, which Walon chuckled at, as, despite his previous animosity with the Jedi General for his lack of trust in the Clone Troopers, he appreciated and respected his military professionalism, straightforwardness, and how he treated his men with a great deal of equal trust and pragmatism when going into battle.

 

“All right, all right. We can hear General Kota’s example of a rallying cry after we extract the prisoners.” Mij said, anxious to get the mission underway.

 

Rham, who nodded in understanding, said, “Agreed. I’ll be with Etain and the rest of the diversionary team while Kal’s boys bust out Climber, Trace, and as many other prisoners as they can. Good luck, and try not to get killed.”

 

“Funny, I was going to say that to you, Kota.” Kal said in order to keep everyone’s spirits high, as they were planning on dealing a small but significant blow to the Imperial’s War Machine. 

 

As the Jedi Master and former Jedi Knight made their way to the docking ramp, Kal put a hand on Mij’s shoulder in support, and said, “ _Udessi_ , Mij. We’ll get your boys out safe and sound.”

 

“I know, old friend. I’ll tear that prison apart, inch by inch if I have to, in order to save those two. I just hope that our allies pull through.” Mij grimly said, and Kal said nothing, despite knowing that they would only get an hour, two at the very most, at liberating a few hundred prisoners from the Imperial complex. He also hoped that the Shadow Alliance’s Imperial, Jedi, and Senatorial allies came through with their reinforcements when the time came, or this mission would likely end in death for everyone within his clan.

_Fifteen Minutes Later_

_Within the Agon System_

_Onboard the_ Venerator _-class Star Destroyer_ Arbitrator

 

Commodore Anderson watched with interest as a group of ten ships entered the range of the small but deadly Imperial fleet of three _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers and two _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers. He recognized several of the frigates as Clone War-era shuttles and older models, but what fully caught his attention was the Mon Calamari DeepWater-Class light freighter that led the motley fleet. He did not expect such an ocean-planet ship attempt to enter the hellish prison colony of Agon Nine.

 

As he wondered what this turn of events meant for his crew, he suddenly heard his communications officer hesitatingly say, “Commodore. We have orders from the _Desolator_ to escort these ships to Penal Colony Six. The guests on board are here to deliver prisoners quietly, and to conduct a surprise inspection of the facility.”

 

“Really?” David said, his curiosity piqued by this turn of events. He then asked, “Did Admiral Hackett ascertain as to who our guests were before giving the order?”

 

“He did, Commodore. These orders came directly from Director Isard, sir. He said to make all due haste, and to accommodate the colonel’s every wish.” The woman ensign replied.

 

As soon as the Director of Imperial Intelligence’s name was uttered, David froze in his place, and he had to force himself to say these next words, “Understood. The _Arbitrator_ will provide escort for the Colonel, and give him all access to the prison.”

 

He then spoke loud enough for the rest of his crew to hear him, and he shakily said, “Under no circumstances are to any of us disobey the orders that we are given, or it could very well mean our imprisonment or deaths at the hands of Lord Vader.” The crew then looked at the commodore in fear at death by choking due to the Sith Lord’s merciless wrath, they began to carry out their duties with an increased fervor to live.

 

 _Back on the_ Aay'han

 

“I can’t believe that they bought that _poodoo_!” A'den Skirata said in-between fits of laughter after the transmission with the commanding officer of the _Desolator_ ended, as he never got tired of seeing people, especially Imperials, nearly relieve themselves in their pants when they faced a life or death situation. He then sagely said, “It just goes to show you what unquestioning obedience to the chain of command or… well, anything, really, will do to a person’s ability to think for themselves.”

 

“Preach, brother.” Jaing said in concurrence as he readied his Verpine Shatter gun for battle against Imperial forces, and silently prayed to the _manda_ that no clones would die in this mission, as he remembered many of his fellow clones die in the time of the Grand Army of the Republic’s thirteen-year existence. 

 

Once he was done praying, he put on his Mandalorian helmet in order to prevent from being recognized as a clone of Jango Fett, and, as the loading ramp opened up, he saw two squads of Stormtroopers being ready for escort, along with a tan man with a commander’s rank plaque on his uniform.

 

 _Perfect. With luck, we get to knock a high-ranking member of the prison off the board before the fun part of this mission begins._ Jaing thought to himself before he and A'den walked up to meet the stunned commander, as the man expected to find Armand Isard walking down, not two unknown Mandalorian mercenaries.

 

“I… was expecting Director Isard. To whom am I speaking to?” The commander inquired.

 

“Lux and Saw Despero, at your service.” A’den said, using the code names that the two batch-mates came up with before they arrived within the system. He then continued, nonchalantly saying, “The colonel is right inside. He wanted to speak to you before he began his inspection of the prison’s defenses. Said it was about your record of… how did he put it? Ah, yes, ‘Arranging the prisoners for gladiatorial events for sport and illegal gambling.’ What, did you think that this was Cog Hive Seven, or did you lose too much money on playing Sabaac?”

 

The commander then sputtered out incoherent words before he angrily said, “What?!? That is absurd!! I don’t know where Director Isard heard such ludicrous statements, but I will put them to rest right now. And, when I’m done here, I’ll find the idiot that started such slander, and put them in this very prison!”

 

“Be my guest.” Jaing said as he led the commander, along with four Stormtroopers that the man ordered to accompany him, and they quickly found themselves surrounded on all sides by two Jedi and a squad of heavily-armed Mandalorians.

 

They then saw one of the Mandalorians pull off their helmets to reveal a very angry man who appeared to be in his late forties or early fifties, who then growled out, “If you want to live to see another day, you’ll tell me where the two Clone Commandos that refused to follow Order Sixty-Six.”   
  


“Th-those two traitors? They’re in the maximum security hold. Good luck trying to get to them, though. There’s dozens of guards and droids guarding the cells.” The commander quickly replied in order to survive this ordeal, not aware of the glares that the captured Stormtroopers gave him through their helmets.

 

The unmasked Mandalorian then said, “Give us the code cylinder on you, and you’ll live to see another day.” The commander hurriedly complied, and, once he gave Mij the cylinder, he wickedly said, “Thank you. Good luck explaining this to Lord Vader and the rest of Imperial High Command.” He then stunned the five Imperials, and said to Kal, “All right. We know what we need to do, so let’s get to work. Good hunting out there, guys.”

 

With that said, Kal, Rahm, and Etain led their squad out of the ship, cutting and blasting a bloody swathe through the unsuspecting Imperials.

 

After two minutes of waiting, Mij, Jaing, and A’den led Walon, Niner, and Corr out of the ship, and they encountered no opposition as they quickly made their way into the prison.

 

_Ten Minutes Later_

_Within the Control Tower of Penal Colony Six_

“Gamma Squad, repeat transmission!” One of the communications technicians of the nerve center of operations for the Imperial prisons said, not fully hearing what the squad leader reported.

 

“ _I said that we’ve got two Jedi and a bunch of Mandalorians running amok in the prison, and they’ve already breached the outer defenses! We need- No. No! STAY BA-_ ” With that incomplete transmission, the communication cut off, leaving the startled woman alone to realize that the prison’s security was compromised, and was in danger of being destroyed.

 

“So, our test has come, Lieutenant Zethra.” Said the gentle but firm voice of the new commander of the labor camp, Janus Greejatus, one of Emperor Palpatine’s oldest friends, and high ranking member of the Imperial Ruling Council. He had been sent here on the orders of Emperor Palpatine himself, and took control of all of the penal colonies on Agon Nine, while the original commander of the facility, the experienced High Colonel Theol Drost, was reassigned to the shipyards of Bilbringi.

 

The former senator continued, saying, “Prepare to purge the facility of all life, and prepare my private shuttle for evacuation in thirty minutes.”

 

Beginning to believe that she was losing her hearing, Lial Zethra stuttered out, “I-I’m sorry, C-councilor Greejatus, you want to purge the facility? But- but we still have almost a thousand Stormtroopers within the facility, not to mention the five hundred tech-ghhk!” Lial failed to finish her protest due to her head being severed from its neck via one of the eight escorting Shadow Guards that decapitated the insubordinate lieutenant.

 

“Such a shame. She held such promise.” Janus disappointingly said as he shook his head at the death of the young woman. He then turned to face four of his bodyguards, and said, “Call all available naval forces to cut off the enemy’s escape route. Once that is done, activate the facility’s neutron purge generators, and then meet me at my shuttle for our departure.” He then turned to face the four remaining Shadow Guards, and said, if anyone tries to approach you, strike them down in the name of our Emperor.”

 

Without even bothering to see the four soon-to-be-disintigrated Force trained Royal Guards bow in acknowledgement, Janus began to walk brusquely to his shuttle’s private hanger.

 

 _Let’s see the Jedi and their mongrel allies survive this!_ Janus viciously thought as he prepared to revel in the deaths that he would soon sense.

 

_Five Minutes Later_

_Onboard the_ Desolator

“Helms, have the _Desolator_ and _Arbitrator_ blockade Penal Colony Six. We have reports of two Jedi and several Mandalorians attacking the facility.” Admiral Hackett ordered to his Star Destroyer’s crew.

 

Before they could do so, however, the sensors officer said, “Admiral, we have enemy ships coming in the system from Sector R-10.”

 

“How many?” Hackett said, beginning to wonder which of the Empire’s enemies was behind this obviously coordinated attack on one of the most secure prisons in the galaxy.

“According to the numbers, we’ve got… one _Providence_ -class Dreadnaught, two _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, a Nebulon-B Frigate, three _Dreadnaught_ -class Heavy Cruisers, five CR90 Blockade Runners, two _Consular_ -class cruisers, a _Pelta_ -class medical frigates coming into the system.” The sensors officer replied.

 

After overcoming the shock of hearing of so many enemy ships coming to face the Imperial fleet, Hackett said, “Launch all fighters, and order all ships to engage the enemy fleet! We have to keep them from reaching the prisons.”

 

He hoped that he wasn’t making a fatal mistake, as he knew that he was disobeying the orders of Councilor Greejatus by engaging the fleet, but he believed that the Imperial forces within the attacked prison were more than a match for this mismatch of a strike force.

_Onboard the_ Venerator _-class Star Destroyer_ Retaliation

 

Maarisa Zsinj, a former admiral of both the Republic and Imperial Navy before becoming a pirate in order to battle governmental corruption over her demotion and betrayal by her own son, calmly ordered her crew to launch its fighter complements, and power up all weapons. As her crew loyally did so, she wondered just what Senator Organa and his conspirators saw in rescuing a few hundred Confederate soldiers and Imperial political prisoners from the Empire’s grasp.

 

Pushing her thoughts aside, she reminded herself that she had a job to do, and the lives of her crew hang in the balance of her keeping her mind in the here and now. _When this is over, I’m getting some answers._ Maarisa said in silent resolve to survive the inescapable battle.

_Within Penal Colony Six’s Med-Bay_

“Hey, Gilamar, we’ve got both a big problem, and a huge opportunity here!” Jaing shouted as he and A’den came across a vital transmission from the command center of the penal colony.

“What have you got?” Mij asked as he finished killing the last of the Stormtroopers that guarded the way forward.

 

“Janus Greejatus is here, and he’s ordered a neutron purge of the entire penal colony to commence in less than twenty-five minutes. We can’t shut it down from here, so we need to send someone to the control tower in order to shut it down, or this whole mission will have just gotten us all killed.” A’den replied, causing Mij and Walon to shout out several curses in _Mando’a_ to themselves.

 

“All right. Inform all squads, and have Kota and his team head to the control tower. We need to keep on moving if we’re going to bust out my boys.” Mij said after he collected himself.

 

“Already done.” Jaing said as the two Null ARCs opened the door that led to the cell blocks. Jaing then maliciously smiled beneath his helmet as he said, “I took the liberty of informing all Imperials of the coming purge, so they’ll be heading to Hangar Nine, which happens to be to the only hangar that our forces didn’t land on.” 

 

Getting a pat on the back from Walon, he then satisfyingly said, “That’s the way that Kal taught you. Now, let’s get a move on, as we’ve got a few hundred prisoners to save.”

 

_Meanwhile, Within the Imperial Armory_

“You’ve gotta be _fragging_ me! That toad licking Sithspawn is going to purge the entire prison before seeing us get away?!?” Rahm said as he used a powerful Force Push to take out the squad of techncians and Stormtroopers that stood in his way.

 

“How about instead of repeating what I just said, Kota, you can help Etain cut through the door to the turbolifts, because we’ve only got twenty-three minutes before we all die?!?” Kal angrily retorted as he threw three ion grenades at the squad of patrol droids that came across the diversionary team, disabling all but two of them. But, they were damaged enough for Kal to get in close enough in order to blast them to pieces.

 

In a matter of moments, the two lightsaber-wielding warriors managed to cut a giant hole through the durasteel-plated door, and the seven fighters quickly made their way to the turbolifts, where Rahm and Etain held up their fists in order to keep the squad from advancing.

 

“What’s going on?” Ruusaan questionably said, as she knew Etain long enough to know that her Force senses picked up something out of the ordinary.

 

“There are five strong presences in the Force heading deeper within the facility, while four other signatures are in the control tower.” Etain quickly said.

 

“Greenjatus must have some Dark Side Acolytes guarding the only way to stop the neutron purge. We have to hurry if we’re going to survive this deathtrap.” Kota said in continuation of the former Jedi Knight’s train of thought.

 

“No ‘duh’ there, Kota.” Atin Skirata rudely interjected, as he, along with everyone else, did not want to die on this hellish prison world. The seven fighters then entered a turbolift, and began to make their way to the control tower.

 

_Five Minutes Later_

_In the Control Tower_

As the seven Shadow Alliance members exited the turbolift, they were greeted by a surprising sight: Four black-armored Royal Guards that each carried a lightsaber pike that emitted a red blade.

 

Atin, in an effort to get a rise out of these mysterious enemies, mockingly said, “What, did you guys misplace your robes with Vader’s, or something like that?” The response was the four guards begin to silently approach the Mandalorians and Jedi.

 

“Smooth move, Atin.” Ruusaan sarcastically said as she raised her blasters to prepare to defend herself against the lightsaber-wielding adversaries.

 

_In the Cell Blocks’ Control Center_

 

“Man, if it wasn’t for the imminent neutron purge, I’d regret the lack of action and blaster fire coming our way.” Walon regrettably said as he rejoined the rest of his squad while they used their captured commander’s code cylinder to gain complete access to the prison system. Once they did so, all of the cell doors opened, and hundreds of prisoners slowly exited their cells, for fear of being stunned or killed by their former guards.

 

Mij, keeping his eyes glued on the maximum security wing, found Climber and Trace after a minute of intense searching, and pointed to them with a finger as he joyously shouted, “There they are! Let’s call all the prisoners here, and then get them ready for evac.”

 

“Got it.” Jaing replied as he activated the control systems for the cell blocks’ intercom, and said into it, “Attention, all _former_ prisoners of the Imperial system. If you want a chance at payback at the people that wrongly imprisoned you on this dungeon of a world, or you just want to escape this hellhole, then follow the six Mandalorians that busted their _shebs_ in getting this far in order to get you off of Agon Nine. You’d better hurry to decide, though, because the warden is preapring to destroy the prison before letting any of us escape.”

 

 

As soon as he finished speaking, the prisoners rushed to where Mij, Jaing, A’den Walon, Niner, and Corr were awaiting them. As soon as the hundreds of ex-prisoners arrived, they were clamoring for a way off of the soon-to-be destroyed prison, and Jaing was forced to activate a shrieking alarm in order to restore a semblance of order to the area.

 

Once the noise died down, Mij loudly said, “Will the members of Ion Team report for duty?”

 

Slowly, the two clones that Mij had worked with from the beginning of their commando training made their way to the front of the crowd, showing Mij just how much the four years of prison had changed Climber and Trace. The two men had many scars across their faces and arms that Mij did not recognize, evidence of much torture at the hands of sadistic wardens and guards, which enraged Mij even as he walked up to the two commandos and embraced them in a powerful hug that they eagerly reciprocated.

 

As the tears of joy came down the three men, Climber, said, “Stang, it’s good to see you again, Sarge. What took you so long?”

 

Once the three men separated, Mij wiped the tears from his eyes, and said, “I’m so sorry, guys. I didn’t even know that you were still alive. It was only thanks to a Jedi and his allies that this operation was even made.”

 

Climber and Trace then became filled with hope at the Jedi that Mij implied, and the former said, “General Shryne and Commander Starstone made it out of Kashyyyk, then?”

 

Mij then became crestfallen, and he said, “I’m afraid not. Roan gave his life in a battle against Vader on Kashyyyk in order to save Starstone and as many people and other Jedi as he could.”

 

“At least he died as he lived, saving the lives of others.” Trace satisfyingly said, knowing that his friend wouldn’t want them to mourn his loss until the mission was over. He then turned into combat mode, and said, “What’s the sitrep, Sir?”

 

“We need to get these people to Hangar Five, and prepare to evac to the extraction fleet that’s engaging the Imperial fleet above the planet.” Mij ordered, and the two Clone Commandos saluted their mentor before all of the newly liberated prisoners followed the Mandalorians out of the Cell Blocks.

 

_Three Minutes Later_

_In the Control Tower_

Rahm and Etain were engaged in heated battle against the three surviving Shadow Guards, while Kal and his four teammates were attempting to find and end the sequence for the neutron purge.

 

“Come on, come on… Yes!! I found the sequence. Now all I have to do is shut it down. Give me two minutes.” A’den triumphantly said as he set to work on hacking into the Neutron Purge generators.

 

“We might not have that long, A’den.” Ruusaan grimly said as one of the Shadow Guards broke off from his fight with Rahm in order to eliminate these intruders.

 

Kal then said, “Just shut it down. We’ll take care of this LOUD _di’kut_.” Upon saying that code phrase, Ruusaan, Prudii, and Atin began blasting at the Shadow Guard from all directions in order to halt his advance. Kal then activated a concussion grenade that he threw at the Shadow Guard, who was too busy deflecting random blaster bolts to catch it, and it went off, disorienting the Force-Sensitive enough to allow Kal to come in and use his Beskar dagger to, despite a second of inexplicable resistance, sever the guard’s head right off, leaving the body a virtual fountain of blood.

 

He then smiled at the plan that he developed for dealing with helmeted individuals, as he and his family deactivated the helmet’s audio receptors in order to avoid the eardrum bursting screech of the concussion grenade. He then turned to face the two remaining Shadow Guards, who, along with a slightly disoriented Rahm, were unable to fight back, and the four Mandalorians blasted away at the two Imperial agents, and they quickly fell under the advanced blaster weaponry of Clan Skirata.   
  


As Etain helped Rahm get up to his feet, he groggily said, “Next time you do that, can you give me a heads-up so I can avoid the blast?”

 

Kal then chuckled and said, “Where’s the fun in that?” He then turned to face A’den, and said, “You got that code done yet?”

 

“Better. Since the prisoners are heading to the hangars for evac, and Greejatus and his goons are prepping their shuttle to leave in ten minutes, I say that we alter the neutron purge to only have enough range to hit the Imps’ shuttle in five minutes.” A’den gleefully said, which Kal and Rahm agreed on at once, as they knew that would be the best chance that they had in eliminating one of Sidious’s oldest, and most trusted and capable servants.

 

“Do it.” The two Shadow Alliance leaders said, and A’den immediately went to work, only to finish thirty seconds later.

 

The Null ARC Trooper then maliciously chuckled as he said, “If only we could get a holoimage of Janus’s petrified face as he was disintegrated.”

 

“Don’t worry. We’ll have plenty of other Imps to get terrified pictures of before they meet a grisly end.” Kal said as he transmitted the altered plan to Mij and the other teams, as well as orders to avoid the center of the facility, and to evacuate the facility within the next ten minutes.

 

_Five Minutes Later_

_Within the Private Shuttle of Janus Greejatus_

“Prepare the shuttle for liftoff, and order all available fighters to bombard this facility.” Janus coolly replied to the Imperial pilots that were controlling the Lambda-class T-4a shuttle. Without even waiting to hear an acknowledgement from the two men, he went to the passenger bay in order to await the departure of the seven men from the doomed prison.

 

Unfortunately for Janus, his four Shadow Guards were standing up on high alert, and, before he could say anything, he saw the light of the neutron purge emitters rapidly approach them. As the light crossed over the five Force-Sensitives, he, in his excruciating pain, shouted to no one in particular, “DAMN YOU, TAU PALPATINE!!!”

 

_Simultaneously, On Imperial Center_

_Within the Imperial Palace_

Darth Sidious felt a small dark tremor in the Force as he spoke to his Grand Vizier, Sate Pestage, and he sighed in disappointment over the loss of one of his oldest conspirators and recent acolytes.

 

“My Lord?” Sate said in confusion.

 

“Janus has failed in his schemes to eliminate Rahm Kota and his allies, and paid the ultimate price for his failure.” Sidious simply said, which Sate understood immediately, and prepared to have Moff Marcellin Wessel construct an official statement on the Ruling Councilman’s death.

 

_Three Minutes Later_

_Within the_ Aay’han

The eight hundred prisoners of Penal Colony Six flooded each of the twenty shuttles that the hangar had, while the _Aay'han_ , with its expanded cargo hold, could house over seventy prisoners, as well as the six members of the strike force, and Climber and Trace. Soon enough, Kal and his team made their way to the _Aay’han_ , and shouted to the ship’s bridge, “Everyone else is safely away! Mij, get us out of here!”

 

Without even replying, the acquisitioned ship, along with twenty-nine other shuttles that housed both Clan Skirata and the rest of the liberated prisoners, made their way out of the planet’s atmosphere. Fortunately for them, before they could collide with the three squadrons of Imperial bombers, the Imperial fighters were intercepted by two squads of Maarisa’s Aggressive ReConnaissance-170 starfighters, which decimated the unsuspecting ships enough for Kal’s small fleet to escape the planet.

 

Before jumping into hyperspace, Mij contacted Kota’s militia, Berch Teller’s fleet, and Maarisa Zsinj, and said, “All right. We’re safely abound with our cargo. Recall all of your fighters, and retreat to the preassigned rendezvous point in two days.”

 

With that said, the _Aay’han_ and its following ships fled the system, and, soon enough, the Shadow Alliance fleet followed suit, leaving a horrified Admiral Hackett wondering just how he was going to explain this disaster to Imperial High Command, as his sensors officers told him that Councilor Janus Greejatus’s shuttle never escaped the facility before the neutron purge went off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends a Mandalorian-centric chapter of my story. Not only did our heroes get away with Climber, Trace, and several hundred ex-prisoners, but they managed to kill eight Shadow Guards, and eliminate Janus Greejatus, who was a high-ranking Imperial in both the Original and New Canons of Star Wars before his death onboard the Second Death Star. I have to admit, that I didn’t plan on Janus being included in the original draft, but I felt that it was fitting for Sidious to send one of his best servants to try and deal with the Shadow Alliance in a brutal way, as the Sith Shrine underneath the Jedi Temple would have given him glimpses of the future in order to counter the increasing powers of the Light. Don’t worry, the Shadow Alliance will suffer losses and defeats soon enough, I just need to decide when the best time would be. So, sorry it took so long to write this chapter, I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked to write, what, with work and school keeping me occupied. I don’t think that my next chapter will take too long, but I just want to let you know in the event that it takes more than three days to complete. So, I guess that that’s it for the day of February 15, 2018. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How is everyone doing on this warm evening of February 15, 2018? I’m doing well, as I had a good dinner, and now I’m ready to get started on the next chapter of Star Wars: Shadow Wars: Foundation, where the focus of this chapter will be on Tau and his crew finding and recruiting the Whiphid Jedi Master K’Kruhk, the group of Padawans that are under his care, and two Jedi-sympathetic Imperial commanders. But, before I get into that, I have a significant milestone to share with you guys: Once I finish this author’s note, I will have written over one hundred thousand words in this story in forty measly days. That is a personal best for me, as I’ve never written so much in such a short period of time. Unfortunately, over the next couple of weeks, I won’t be able to write as much as I like, as I’ll have a few projects that I’ll need to start working on, and work will be busy this weekend, what, with Black Panther, Samson, and Early Man coming out tomorrow at my movie theater. Just wanted to give you guys a little heads up, as I don’t want you guys to think that I’m slacking off, I just have other responsibilities that I have to take care of. Well, now that we’ve gotten those things squared away, let’s get started in the next chapter of my story. Oh, and, one more thing, this chapter will have hardly, if any, deaths in it at all.

_One Hour Later_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

_In Hyperspace_

_Fifteen Hours from Arkinnea_

 

“Well, I’d say that your mission was an overwhelming success, _Buir_.” Bardan satisfyingly said as he, Akuu, and Tau listened to Kal and Mij tell the three of them how they managed to rescue, in addition to the Clone Commandos Climber and Trace, eight hundred prisoners from a highly-secure prison, and eliminate Janus Greejatus, one of Sidious’s best servants and Dark Side Acolytes, as well as his eight Shadow Guards in the process. To further damage Sidious’s inner circle, Yularen was able to provide them codes that implied that the Director of Imperial Intelligence, Armand Isard, or, at the very least, one of his best agents, were the ones that gave the Shadow Alliance the clearance codes that allowed them to infiltrate the prison.

 

“ _No doubt about it._ ” Kal concurred before he said, “ _We’re heading for the rendezvous point in the Outer Rim. We’ll be waiting for you guys there._ K’oyacyi, Bard’ika _._ ”

 

With that done, the communication ended, leaving the two Mandalorians and one Jedi Knight alone to plan how they were going to reach K’Kruhk and his students, as just landing at the Hidden Temple would put the Jedi on alert, and likely attract Imperial attention.

 

“So, what’s the plan, Tau?” Akuu said as he led the two other men out of the cockpit in order to inform the rest of the Second Chance’s crew of Clan Skirata’s decisive success with their mission.

 

“We need to find Commander Teron and have him take us to the Hidden Temple. It’s the best way to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. We’ll start looking for him in the Imperial complex.” Tau said after giving the matter a moment’s thought.

 

“And just how do we reach him? The security for the Imperial complex will be crawling with Stormtroopers, and us sneaking in there isn’t going to make a good impression on him. Not to mention that your ship’s crew will all be on Sidious’s most wanted list by now.” Bardan said as A’Sharad appeared, and the former nodded at the other in a gesture of respect.

 

“Simple. Since the two of us are Mandalorians, and the bulk of our people hold a strong disdain towards the Jedi in… well any time period, we can just claim to one of his highest officers that you have a lead on K’Kruhk. That’ll get his attention.” Akuu said, catching on to what Tau was implying.

 

“That could work, especially if you have your lightsaber on you when you meet with the Commander.” A’Sharad said in concurrence with the idea, before he turned to the Anzati Mandalorian, and asked, “Do you have a spare helmet lying around, Akuu? If you do, I could take one and support you two, just in the unlikely event that the plan fails.

 

“Yeah. I’ve got a couple of them stashed away after Arda, just in case we had another Mandalorian join our crew.” Akuu said, welcoming the additional help, with Bardan nodding his head in acquiesce, as he found A’Sharad to be a respectable man.

 

“All right. Then it’s decided. The four of us, along with Ahsoka and Ventis, will head to the surface in order to meet up with Master K’Kruhk and the others. Let’s brief the others on the plan.”

 

“I have a question before you inform everyone else.” Ventis stoically said. As all eyes turned on him, he incredulously yelled, “Why in the name of Iluvatar do you keep bringing me along on your missions?!? In case you forgot, I have a monumental list of reasons as to why people would hate me, regardless of Sidious completely erasing Gallies’s criminal record when he became an Inquisitor. There’s bound to be more people that recognize me as Gallies, and I can assure you with complete certainty that they won’t be as understanding and forgiving as Kal and his clan.”

 

“Oh.” Tau deadpanned said, before he began to awkwardly laugh, which confused the four of his friends.

 

As the laughter died down, Tau nervously admitted, “I actually didn’t think about your past, Ventis.”

 

“WHAT?!?!?” Ventis bellowed out, before he said, “You mean that you can plan how to overthrow a Dark Lord of the Sith, but you didn’t bother to take into account my horrific past? How in the galaxy do you manage to mess that up?”

 

“Look, I don’t think of you as a criminal. That was Gallies who committed all of these crimes, and he’s gone for good. I just think of you as a friend and my apprentice, and it’s my job to teach you all I know about being a Jedi. And, I think that it’s good for you to learn about the inner workings of the Shadow Alliance in the event that I’m unable to perform my duties.”

 

“Okay, first off, no one can take your place in the Shadow Alliance. Aside from Akuu and Jarael, you’re the only one that knows how the future was supposed to turn out, and that knowledge is the only thing that is giving us a chance of pulling off this lunatic plan of you and the others. And, second, I can pull my weight in the Shadow Alliance by making this hunk of junk actually look decent!”

 

“‘Decent?’ It’s a great ship, Ventis. It’s an exact replica of the _Millennium Falcon_ before we got sent back in time, and that ship was the most famous one over the span of fifty-seven years before its destruction.” Tau argued, offended at the insult that Ventis threw at him, which made him privately wonder if he was becoming more like Han Solo. 

 

“Well, Tau, like the ship that you revere so much, it’s suffering from so many foreign systems working together that it’s a blessing from Iluvatar that it hasn’t fallen apart yet. I mean, really, the turbolasers are weakening from a lack of maintenance, the vents haven’t been cleaned in weeks, and two of the droid brains are at it again!” Ventis exasperatingly said, earning stares of disbelief from the four others.

 

“Okay… Well, if you knew about all of this, then why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Tau asked, more than a little miffed that his apprentice did not warned him about the ship’s need for repairs. 

 

“Because I only found out about these systems failing a few minutes ago, that’s why!” Ventis angrily replied.

 

Akuu, not wanting to see master and apprentice arguing, interjected, saying, “Well, then, it looks like Ventis has a new mission: While the four of us and Ahsoka recruit some Jedi and Imperials, Ventis can help Arnine and the rest of the crew fix up the ship. If he does a good job, then this could be a full-time position.”

 

“Can it be a paying one, because I have needs too?” Ventis jokingly asked, earning him a nod from Tau, which surprised the older Jedi, as he did not expect that answer in the slightest.

 

“Deal. If you and the others can fix up the ship by the time that Akuu, Ahsoka, A’Sharad, and Bardan and I return from our recruiting efforts, then I’ll pay you one thousand credits a month for maintaining the ship.” Tau simply said.

 

Not one to back down from the chance to prove his master wrong, Ventis, with a sureness that he usually did not possess, said, “All right, then. We’ll have this ship up to its optimal standards before you guys get back. Feel free to rush along if you want to, it’ll just be a better challenge for the rest of us.”

 

“No, no, Ventis. I’ll give you as much time as I can, as working on this ship can be a nightmare, even on a lucky day.” Tau said as he politely declined the incentive, by both trying to give his pupil a better chance of rising to the challenge, and to avoid compromising his plans to bring in more experienced allies.

 

_Sixteen Hours Later_

_Thirty-Five Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah’mu_

_In the Expansion Region_

_On Arkinnea_

_Within the Imperial Command Center on Chronos City_

Imperial Commander Teron normally did not greet mercenaries, not only for his low regard for them due to their often unscrupulous nature, but because they were Mandalorians, which could potentially doom K’Kruhk and his students at his secret Jedi Temple, the former of whom they believed to be hiding on the planet.. He only agreed to meet with the Mandalorians in order to throw them off of the Jedi’s trail.

 

It was for this reason that he was speaking with the two leaders of the Mandalorians, which was a human and Anzati male. However, he could not help but suspect that the human was recognizable from somewhere, which made Teron search the deep recesses of his mind in order to remember just whom this man was.

 

“I understand the need to stay on alert for any Jedi in the event that they rear their traitorous heads anywhere, but I can assure you that there are no Jedi here. My forces are the pinnacle of discipline, and, after the former Captain Relik’s horrific massacre of refugees, we oversee all processing and immigration. So, unless they’re getting outside help, no Jedi could be within the system.” Teron said in both genuine praise of his men’s expertise and conduct, and misdirection in order to throw the bounty hunters off of K’Kruhk’s trail.

 

“Normally, I’d belive you, Commander Teron, as you and Captain Denimoor are honarble individuals. However, you do have a service record of serving under Jedi Master K’Kruhk during the Outer Rim Sieges. More specifically, you personally served under K’Kruhk during the Siege of Saleucami, and risked your life, and the lives of your men, no less, to rescue Confederate civilians, showing incredible valor and nobility.” The Anzati replied in a casual tone the depicted someone talking about the weather instead of the commander’s treasonous secrets. 

 

Before Teron could reply, the sole remaining unmasked Mandalorian annoyingly said, “Enough of the games, you two. We need to get on with the mission.” He then took off his helmet, revealing to a stunned Teron: Jedi Master A’Sharad Hett, one of the few surviving Jedi Generals that he served under during the Siege of Saleucami. The Jedi Master then politely said, “Commander. It has been a while.”

 

“G-g-g-general Hett? How- why- when-” Teron stuttered out as he tried to process what he had just witnessed.

 

“Well, to make a long story short, the three of us are a part of an alliance that is dedicated to overthrowing Emperor Palpatine and his top servants, and it includes the resurrection of the Jedi Order, and we need you, Captain Denimoor, Master K’Kruhk, the Padawans under his tutelage, and as many men as you can rally to join our alliance.” A’Sharad quickly explained to the flummoxed commander.

 

“I’ll give you this, you guys don’t think small when it comes to planning. But, I can’t leave the Imperial Navy just like that, especially since there have been several attacks against the Empire’s top servants that you guys have carried out. Imperial High Command will punish anyone that associates with me and my fellow Jedi Sympathizers with our brutal deaths.” Teron protested to the three visitors.

 

“They’ll kill you anyway once the initiate another purge of the Imperial forces.” The human Mandalorian countered, which Teron could not deny after witnessing many Imperial officers be executed for their loyalty to the Jedi over the Empire two weeks after Emperor Palpatine declared the New Order.

 

Suddenly, as if two synapses connected within Teron’s mind, he recognized the voice of the other human, and whispered, “ _General Jusik!_ ”

 

“No, Commander. It’s just ‘Bardan’, now. You know that I left the Order over five years ago. It’s good to see you again after Tibrin.” Bardan said in both a correction of his former subordinate and friend, and relief to see that a good man had survived the purges that Sidious began.

 

“Likewise, Gen- Bardan.” Teron said after he caught himself, and then asked, “Are there any more people in your group, or should I have Denimoor come from the _Tenacious_ so that the five of us can go to see K’Kruhk?”

 

“Actually, two more people are going to join us. A former Jedi Padawan known as Ahsoka Tano, and… well the next one will require a more… safe environment before we disclose that knowledge.” Akuu cautiously said, which made Teron both curious and worried as to who the mysterious final visitor would be. 

 

Deciding to take a leap of faith, the commander nodded in acceptance of the terms, and, after encrypting the message, sent a burst transmission to Captain Denimoor through his datapad.

 

A few moments later, he received the following message from the _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyer:

 

_Understood, Teron._

_I’ll see you and the General at our usual spot in forty minutes. Stay alive._

_Denimoor._

 

“All right. Denimoor has agreed to meet with us at the Highlands, where we’ll rendezvous with Master K’Kruhk. It’s fortunate that I have my usual shipment of supplies to deliver to him and the others.” Teron said to the Jedi and two Mandalorians.

 

“Good. We have a lot of ground to cover, and so little time to explain everything.” A’Sharad said in his characteristic serious tone. He then put back on his helmet, and the four individuals made their way out of the command center.

 

After walking about one kilometer out of the city, they came across Tau and Ahsoka, who were each piloting a SoruSuub Corporation X-34 landspeeder that was equipped to seat at least six full-grown people.

 

“I take it that these two are our chauffeurs’?” Teron said in an effort to lighten the mood of the serious situation.

 

“You could say that.” Akuu humorously said before he motioned for Teron to follow him into Ahsoka’s landspeeder, while A’Sharad got into Tau’s speeder, and Bardan took the helm of Teron’s Trast A-A5 Speeder Truck, which contained the farming supplies that were necessary for K'Kruhk’s hidden Jedi temple to sustain itself.

 

As the two speeders began their journey to the Arkinnean Highlands in order to meet up with Dalin Denimoor, Ahsoka and Akuu started to explain the situation to the soon-to-defect Imperial commander, and he was less than pleased at the revelations that he was learning of.

 

_One Hour Later_

_In the Arkinnean Highlands_

 

Dalin Denimoor was beginning to fear that something had compromised Teron and A’Sharad Hett’s safety, as they were twenty minutes past the appointed rendezvous time.

 

Just as he was about to leave in his personal shuttle, he heard the faint whine of three landspeeders approaching, and was relieved to make out the forms of both of his Old Republic comrades coming. He then motioned for his shuttle pilots to leave, and, as they both were privy to the Captain’s secret affiliations with the Jedi, they quickly departed the area in order to construct a falsified story for Imperial High Command so that Dalin’s disappearance would not attract undue attention.

 

Once the three landspeeders ground to a halt, Teron, A’Sharad, a man that Dalin could have sworn to be the ex-Jedi Knight Bardan Jusik, former Padawan Ahsoka Tano, an Anzati Mandalorian, and a young human who wore civilian garbs and carried two blaster pistols on his belt.

 

Dalin quickly moved to greet Teron and A’Sharad, and strongly clasped the hand of the former Jedi General as he enthusiastically said, “General Hett. It’s good to see you again. I could hardly believe that you had survived Order Sixty-Six when Teron told me. But, boy, am I glad to be wrong.”

 

“It is good to see you too, Captain Denimoor.” A’Sharad stoically said as he slightly smiled at his former comrade’s relief.

 

“You might not feel that way once you find out who their leader is.” Teron said, less than enthusiastic about working alongside the great great grandson of the current ruler of the Empire.

 

“Let’s not ruin this reunion, Commander.” The human man said. He then turned to face Dalin, and respectfully said, “It’s good to meet you, Captain. I admire your loyalty to your friends and the free galaxy. We’ll need those two qualities in earnest soon enough when we begin our war against the Emperor.”

 

Dalin’s eyes shot up when he heard about the unknown man’s plans, and he said, “I’m sorry, but just who are you that you would be planning a covert war against Emperor Palpatine, as vile as he might be?”

 

“My name is Tau Palpatine, and I am the great great grandson of the current ruler of the galaxy.” Tau honestly said as he formally introduced himself to the Imperial captain.

 

Resisting the sudden urge to kill the man on the spot for admitting to being a descendent of the ruler of an increasingly despotic empire, he said with as much calmness as he could, Dalin said, “Why, in the name of all that is good and noble in this darkening galaxy, would a living relative of Palpatine want to help overthrow him?”

 

“Because, unlike the Sith Lord that is my ancestor, I’m a Jedi Knight, and I refuse to allow him to enslave the galaxy for his megalomania and all-consuming hunger for omnipotence.” Tau passionately said. He then said, “I suggest that we continue this conversation on the way to the Hidden Temple, as I do not want to repeat this story for the third time in one day.”

 

Teron then told Dalin, “That would be the best thing to do, Dalin. I’ll tell you what’s going on, but be prepared for a lot of questions. And I don’t even have the full story.”

 

Dalin, looking at A’Sharad, Bardan, Ahsoka, and the Anzat, who each looked supportive of Tau, reluctantly said, “Fine. But, the explanation better be a good one, or I’m heading back to the _Tenacious_.”

 

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_At the Hidden Temple_

 

K’Kruhk, a Whiphid Jedi Master who survived the Yinchorii Uprising and Clone War before taking eight Jedi Younglings from the “Soaring” Hawkbat Clan, and the Padawan Chase Piru to Arkinnea a few months after the Empire rose, awaited the return of Teron, who would bring the farming supplies to the Hidden Temple on the first day of each spring.

 

What K’Kruhk did not expect, however, were the Force signatures of A’Sharad Hett, Bardan Jusik, and Ahsoka Tano, who the Jedi Master had either met or fought with before the Clone War ended. He also did not expect to see Captain Denimoor, a human civilian, and an Anzati Mandalorian, approaching the Jedi’s redoubt.

 

As the three landspeeders that held the seven allies approached him, K’Kruhk sensed the coming of his nine young Padawans, and did not stop them from greeting the new arrivals. As the seven people exited the landspeeders, the second-in-command of the Hawkbat Clan, Chase Piru, greeted Teron with a firm hug, and enthusiastically said, “It’s great to see you again, Teron.” 

 

Teron returned the hug as he said, “Likewise, Padawan Piru.” He then separated from the hug in order to see the rest of the maturing Padawans, and saw each of them with various hunting equipment: the Mon Calamari Onkya, the Caucasian-skinned human man Kennan Taanzer, the Zabrak Jiro, the Rutian Twi’lek Seddwia, the blue-skinned humanoid known as Nable, the young human Jace, and the Togorian Morto.

 

The Imperial commander then said, “It’s really good to see all of you again. I have the farming supplies that you need in order to get through the next year.” He then turned to face K’Kruhk, and whispered, “Once we get the supplies unloaded, we need to talk about a pressing matter with the rest of our visitors. It involves them and the fate of the entire galaxy.”

 

K’Kruhk’s expression became serious, and he whispered back, “Then let’s get the supplies inside, and we can talk while the Padawans go out with the Yunu for their weekly hunting practice.”

 

_Four Hours Later_

K’Kruhk could barely comprehend what he had just heard. The human male had claimed to be a descendant of Emperor Palpatine, who was a Sith Lord, who came from the future, and was hoping to recruit him and his Padawans in his efforts to help rebuild the Jedi Order in the Unknown Regions in order to prepare to combat invading extragalactic races, mutated Columi, a Force-hating organization that was bent on destroying all Force-sensitives, and several Celestials and one of their abominations.

 

He then heatedly said, “You are _not_ going to bring my Padawans into this war. They’re not ready for engaging in warfare in both the physical and psychological mindset, especially after the Clone Troopers tried to kill them four years ago.”

 

“I wasn’t going to, Master K’Kruhk.” Tau quickly said, before he added, “I was thinking that the Padawans could help Master Depa Billaba keep the peace on Arda, including through training the residents there through Jedi combat methods.”

 

K’Kruhk looked to consider the idea, and Tau then said to every one of his potential allies, “Look, we’re going to need all of the help that we can get if we’re going to overthrow Sidious and take control of his Empire. At least come to the summit that we’re going to have on Lah’mu in thirty-six days, and hear what our plan is. We have several Jedi, including you old friend, Master Zao, and several Shadow Alliance leaders meeting there to discuss our plan for taking down Sidious. If you don’t approve of our plan, then we’ll take you to wherever you want within the galaxy. You could help protect the worlds that we have established safe havens within the Unknown Regions, as there are many people there that need our help.”

 

After a moment of thought, the Whiphid said, “All right, Tau. My clan will be there to hear what you have to say. I know that they would enjoy seeing Zao again.” He then turned to face Teron and Denimoor, and said, “The two of you don’t have to come to the summit. We don’t want to jeopardize the lives of you and your families.”

 

“Don’t try to sideline us, General. It won’t work. Now that we know that an organized resistance is forming against Sidious’s empire, we’re going to do our part to help end his reign.” Teron said in complete seriousness.  He then said, “I know a few officers who share no love for the Emperor’s totalitarian policies, and the Stormtroopers that serve under them are chafing under Vader’s iron grip. They’ll join your cause if you call on them.”

 

“And the _Tenacious_ ’s crew is loyal to me, and they’ll follow me to the ends of the galaxy if need be, so count me in.” Denimoor said, eager to fight alongside the Jedi again for a righteous cause.

 

Ahsoka then clasped her hands together, and said, “Great! Then we can count on your support. We’ll need every man that we can get if we’re going to stand a chance against Sidious’s forces.”

 

“Agreed. We’ll prepare our forces for desertion in three weeks, and meet you at Lah’mu by the time of the summit.” Teron said.

 

“Then all we have to do is tell your Padawans of the arrangement.” Tau said before he heard rustling behind the door, and, fearing the worst, pulled out his blasters from his holsters, and used the Force to push the door wide open, revealing the eavesdropping forms of the nine Padawans falling on the ground. They then smiled nervously at the scathing glares of Tau, who did not like the intrusion on the private discussion.

 

Tau then sighed in exasperation, turned to K’Kruhk, and said, “I believe that they already know of our deal.” K’Kruhk, Bardan, and Ahsoka could only smile at the teenagers’ rambunctiousness, as they remembered how, during their time as Padawans in the Jedi Order, they defied authority on occasion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends the latest chapter of my story. What did you guys think? Before you ask, the names of each Padawan in K’Kruhk’s care were real, except for Jace and Morto. Those two I made up. Oh, and so was Denimoor’s first name. Anyway, sorry that this chapter took longer than expected, I had work to worry about, and I have school to tackle tomorrow, so my next chapter might take longer to deal with than this one. So, how have your days been, as I like to hear from my friends? Tell me in reviews or emails. Oh, I have a few questions to answer. First off, the bet between Ventis and Tau will be over in the next chapter. Second, after this chapter, the crew of the Second Chance will head to the desert moon that holds Celeste Morne captive in order to free her from her torment of the Muur Talisman, and gain her help. After that, the crew will regroup with Kal Skirata and his clan on the Whiplash base of Dantooine, if they survive, that is, as an encounter with the spirit of an ancient Sith Lord is something that few beings walk away from. Well, I guess that’s it for the night of February 17, 2018. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	25. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone. How are you doing on the night of February 18, 2018? Let me tell you, I am exhausted after a seven-hour shift at my movie theater. It was quite a challenge to work that long, but I’m just glad that it’s over, and I have a few hours left in the day to write, since I did some homework before I started on this chapter. So, with the small talk out of the way, let’s get started on the next humor-filled and dramatic chapter, as there is so much to do, but so little time to do it in. May the Force and Iluvatar be with our heroes as they prepare to confront the spirit of Karness Muur. 
> 
> (February 19, 2018, 10:20 P.M. addendum) Good evening, everyone. I’m sorry for adding this addendum, but I have news with you that I cannot wait to share. As of fifty minutes ago, in Star Wars Rebels, Kanan Jarrus sacrificed himself to save his love, Hera Syndulla, and Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren from an Imperial explosion. I can still hardly believe this, even as I write it. I cannot begin to imagine how the creators of this show plan to end the series, as it will no doubt end on an epic note. Now, before you criticize me for watching the show, just know that I am still loyal to the Expanded Universe, but I can still enjoy “new canon” things, as long as it doesn’t contradict the EU too much, or goes against my moral values. Anyway, I also wanted to tell you that I worked a hard nineteen hours at my local movie theater through the last three days. Let me tell you, I am beat. I’ll be glad when I get at least a day off from work, and can do schoolwork and fanfiction writing tonight and tomorrow. Well, I’d better get back to writing, as I have so much to do, but so little time to do it. Wish me luck.

_Two Hours Later_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

_In Hyperspace_

_Two Hours From Moon F32W45S23T, Two Parsecs from Aridus_

 

“Well, I’ll be a Kowakian monkey-lizard’s uncle. You guys actually managed to pull it off.” Tau said, completely impressed at the repairs that his apprentice had managed to carry out while he was gone for the previous seven hours.

 

From his trained, eye, the turbolasers were functioning at optimal efficiency just through rerouted power from the dejarik table. The vents were cleaner than they had been when the ship had traveled through time, and, the last one confounded Tau, as the brains of the R3-series astromech droid and V-5 transport droid were getting along as if they were friends instead of rivals.

 

“How did you manage to pull this off?” Ahsoka said in a similar shape of amazement at the ship’s excellent performance.

 

“Well, Nagme was able to create an organic solvent that cleaned the ship’s vents, while Arnine made the call to ration power from the dejarik table in order to bring the turbolasers back to full strength, and Celebion and Jarael managed to create a bypass program that allows whoever’s piloting the ship to take control of the three brains while we’re in combat mode.” Ventis proudly said. He was glad that he could contribute to the Shadow Alliance in a manner that did not remind him of his past transgressions.

 

“Well, clearly I was wrong about your leadership abilities, Ventis. As promised, here are a thousand credits for your spending pleasure.” Tau said in praise of his pupil’s skills as he reached within his pockets to pull out ten one hundred credit chits, and then handed them to Ventis, who took them with pride laced across his entire face.

 

“Thank you for the leap of faith, Master.” Ventis humbly said as he put the credits in his pocket, and his expression then turned serious as he said, “So, can you remind me what our next move is, now that Master K’Kruhk, his Padawans, and the two Imperial leaders that you met with have joined the Shadow Alliance?”

 

“We’re going to recruit Celeste Morne, a former Jedi Covenant Shadow into our Shadow Alliance before being trapped in a Sith Oubliette, after you lead the efforts in destroying the Muur Talisman, which contains the spirit of the Jedi Exile Karness Muur.” Tau said, which shocked everyone present, but no one as great as Ventis, who had a look of pure unadulterated fear cover his face.

 

“Wh-why would you have me face off against an ancient Sith Lord, let alone the one who created the vile Rakghoul Plague?!?” Ventis said, remembering how, through the very detailed historical records that Tau kept from his timeline, Karness Muur had fellow Sith Lord Sorzus Syn design a talisman that would house Karness’s spirit after his body was destroy, and how the talisman allowed the deceased Sith Lord’s spirit to create mindless sithspawn that carried the terrible Rakghoul Plague through even the smallest bites and scratches. Everyone looked at Tau as if he had finally lost his mind.

 

“Two reasons. One, because you need to lead a mission in order to help build up your confidence, as you cannot rely on us forever in order to help keep your despair in check. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to face up to what Gallies did if you’re going to become a Jedi Knight, and you’ll need a strong mind, body, and spirit if you are to survive the Jedi Trials.” Tau said as he began to explain his reasoning to everyone present, as he could sense the disbelief in everyone’s minds as he spoke.

 

“Okay… And what’s the second reason, Tau?” Arden asked, wondering just her leader’s plan was for a man that she considered to be a kindred spirit due to their equally tragic pasts and manipulation by the Sith for their own selfish ends.

 

“Because Ventis is the only one here who possesses the Shatterpoint ability, and that gift is what’s going to send Karness’s spirit into the Shadow once and for all.” Tau grimly said as he imagined seeing the look of horror on the deceased Sith Lord’s face when his apprentice struck the final blow against him, and a disturbing smile was plastered against his face, which startled everyone.

 

Seeing the scared looks on everyone’s faces, Tau immediately retracted the smile, and shamefully said, “Sorry. I got giddy when I imagine helping destroy Muur’s spirit. I guess that I carry a lot of rage in my heart when it comes to true monsters.”

 

“Don’t we know it.” Akuu muttered to himself, and shared a look of worry with both Jarael and Ahsoka, as they further feared how Tau would react when they eventually told him of their efforts to find and recruit Chelli Lona Aphra in to the Shadow Alliance.

 

“What was that, Akuu?” Tau asked in plain curiosity, since he did not catch what his longtime friend had said.

 

“Nothing.” Akuu quickly said, leaving his comrade and leader confused over his quick denial.

 

But, before Tau could inquire as to what was bothering Akuu, Ahsoka quickly said to her boyfriend, “So, Ventis possess the same gift as Master Windu? I heard that he was a legend with it.”

 

“Indeed, Ahsoka. His usage of it, and his custom lightsaber form of Vaapad, made him a legend on the battlefield, and both factors let him go toe-to-toe with Sidious, and overcome him in lightsaber combat before his death at the Sith Lord’s hands through Force Lightning.” Tau said, wishing that the Jedi Master was still alive, as, despite his arrogance, distrust of others, and attachment to the corrupt and decaying Old Republic, he believed that Windu would have helped them in their cause to protect the galaxy from the dark designs planned for it.

 

“I’m missing something here. What exactly is ‘Shatterpoint’?” Nagme said, as her brief time among the people of this galaxy, as well as her people’s total lack of connection to the Force, had not allowed her to become well versed in the knowledge of the Force and its many abilities.

 

“Shatterpoint is the ability to see the fractures in… well, just about anything. From equipment, to people, to the entire galaxy, it allows the user to see things that could, for instance, shatter a set of Mandalorian armor. Or, in a more galactic scale, commit a small action that could alter the course of history in the entire galaxy.” Ventis said before he became nervous, and said, “My family was proficient in the usage of Shatterpoint through several generations. That was one of the reasons that Tenebrous and Plageuis set Gallies loose as a distraction for their plans.”

 

“Well then, I see no reason as to why you shouldn’t take the lead on this mission, Ventis.” Nagme said, before she continued, saying, “You already managed to beat back Plagueis’s spirit with only Tau’s help, so it’s a logical reason that, with the help of the rest of us who can use the Force, can destroy Muur’s spirit.

 

Ventis still seemed unsure of this course of action, but, remembering how his son risked everything to save him, and how he still had a brother to visit, he said, his voice full of resolve as he spoke, “Al right, I’m in. But, for the record, it was Tau, General Kota, Master Hett, and Ahsoka that helped me dispel Plagueis’s specter from my mind.”

 

Tau then clasped his hands together in approval, and said to his apprentice, “Good. Don’t worry, Ventis. We’ll be behind you every step of the way.”

 

He then turned to face the rest of his crew, and said, “Here’s the plan: Since the Muur Talisman’s effects don’t work on Force-Sensitives and various non-human species, we’ll only have Ventis, Ahsoka, A’Sharad, Arden, Bardan, and I go help Celeste, as I don’t want to risk anyone here becoming a Sithspawn that will have to be destroyed. You’ll drop us down a couple of klicks away from Celeste’s last known location, and head into orbit until we give the signal for retrieval. Once we’re onboard, we’ll head for Dantooine in order to rendezvous with Clan Skirata and Whiplash. Any questions?”

 

“What happens if Vader decides to come here in order to clean house, as I doubt that he’ll let us get away with someone who knows that he tried to supplant Sidious with?” Jarael said, worried that Vader would attempt to cover up his failed attempt to procure a Sith apprentice through murdering them all.

 

“I doubt that he’ll come, but, if he does, then you guys get out of here. We’ll find a way to deal with Vader if it comes down to it. Besides, between the seven of us, we stand a chance of taking Vader out of the equation.” Tau said, noting the fear in Ahsoka’s eyes as he finished speaking, as he knew that she was unsure if she could kill Vader, as she was once his Padawan when he was still Anakin Skywalker.

 

A’Sharad and Bardan also noticed the fear in Ahsoka’s eyes, and, after the two of them shared a look of mutual understanding, the former said, “Ahsoka, can Bardan and I speak you for a minute?”

 

Wondering just what the two former Jedi Generals wanted to talk to her about, she followed them as they headed to the room where the _Second Chance_ ’s hyperdrive was housed, and she said, “What’s up, guys?”

 

“We know that you feel like you failed Anakin, but the failure was his, not yours.” A’Sharad said, getting right to the heart of the matter. He then continued, saying, “When you left the Order, he blamed himself for his perceived failure of you, but the failure was the Council’s for not standing by you in your darkest hour, and you took the path that was best for you, not anyone else. Yes, he rightly felt anger at the Council, but his anger, and his obsessive desire from losing Padme, put him on the path that pushed away anyone that could have helped him from falling into darkness. And, in his darkness, he betrayed everyone that truly believed in him, and is now the very evil that he once abhorred. It is our responsibility, not merely as Jedi, but as honorable individuals, to put a stop to his evil, even if it claims his life.”

 

“I know that he has to be stopped, Master Hett. Don’t take me for a fool.” Ahsoka snarled out, before she calmed herself, and she continued, saying with a trembling voice, “In the timeline that Tau came from, he killed me, and helped massacre billions, maybe _trillions_ , of innocent people, so I know what the stakes were and are! But… Like Edaan rightly believed that Vestara Khai could come back from the Dark Side, I have to at least try to bring him back from darkness.”

 

“We understand that, Ahsoka.” Bardan sympathetically said before he continued, saying, “But, Tau told me a story about a Jedi Knight who, less than a generation from his time, was forced to kill her twin brother in order to save the galaxy from his tyranny. Would you like to hear it, Ahsoka?”

 

Confused as to what the Mandalorian was speaking of, Ahsoka only nodded in acquiesce, and she began to hear the tale of Darth Caedus and Jaina Solo.

 

_One Hundred Minutes Later_

 

Ahsoka could barely believe what she had just heard: Due to the Sith Lady Vergere’s twisted teachings during the Yuuzhan Vong War, and the manipulations of the subsequent Sith Lady Lumiya during the beginning of the Second Galactic Civil War, Jacen Solo, the son of Han and Leia Organa Solo, as well as the nephew of Luke Skywalker, became a murderous Sith Lord known as Darth Caedus over the course of a handful of months.

 

As his descent into darkness began in earnest, he took control of a secret police force, engineered the deaths of tens of millions of beings, including the murder of his own aunt, Mara Jade Skywalker, took control of the Galactic Alliance through subversion, and corrupted a great Jedi Knight named Tahiri Veila, the one true love of the late Anakin Solo, into his Sith Apprentice before she was redeemed by Luke’s son, Ben Skywalker.

 

But, what was truly the final twist in the knife that pierced Ahsoka’s heart was the fact that Boba Fett, by then the Mand’alor of the Mandalorian mercenaries, trained Jaina Solo, Jacen’s own twin sister, in order to take him down once and for all. She found her motivation through the words of the aged Bardan of her time before his death, who told her that she had to kill Jacen out of love, and then deal with the consequences of her decision later, as she was the only one that could kill him without falling into darkness.

 

Ahsoka immediately realized what Bardan and A’Sharad were inferring, she ardently said, “No. No, no! You can’t ask me to kill Anakin. There’s still good in him, Luke’s redemption of him proves it!”

 

“No one is denying that, Ahsoka. But, you must set aside your personal feelings on the matter, and look at it objectively, as a leader must do, not just as a Jedi would. The timeline has changed due to Tau’s arrival, and now the future is uncertain. There is no telling what we will change through the Shadow Alliance, and we need to be prepared for any eventuality. If we cannot redeem Vader, we won’t have a choice but to put him out of his misery. And you must be the one to do it, for you are the only one that can do it out of pure love.” A’Sharad sympathetically said to the Togruta.

 

“You want me to kill the man who stood by me in my darkest hours, and loved me like a sister. How can you possibly ask me to do that, knowing that there’s still a chance for him to come back?” Ahsoka said as the tears came falling down her face like water gushing down from a waterfall.

 

“Because you love him like a brother, and familial love is one of the purest and strongest kinds of love in the universe. If it comes down to it, you must be the one to set him free from the prison of his own making.” Bardan said, truly wishing that he and A’Sharad did not have to place this burden on her, but knowing that it was the best, and possibly only, way to stop Vader’s self-destructive galactic rampage.

 

Realizing that nothing that she could say would deter the two warriors from their proposal, and as horrendously painful as it was, she reluctantly said, “I… I will consider your words.”

 

“That is all we ask, Ahsoka Tano.” A’Sharad said, believing that, with time, she would come around, and would take on the burden of setting her former master free if it came down to it.

 

She then took in several deep breaths in order to center her turbulent mind. Once the tears stopped flowing out, she wiped her eyes, and began to walk out of the room, where a concerned Tau was waiting for her, and he embraced her due to the torrent of fear that was coursing through her soul.

 

She instantly returned the embrace, and said, “I have to be the one to set Anakin free from his torment, even if it costs both my life and his.”

 

Tau then grew alarmed at the way his companion was talking, and turned his head to A’Sharad and Bardan, and then severely said, “What did you two say to her?”

 

“Only what had to be done, Tau.” Bardan cryptically replied.

 

Before Tau could say anything else, Arnine’s voice came through on the intercom, and the astromech droid told everyone how the Second Chance was less than twenty minutes from its destination.

 

Tau, out of worry for the woman that he had strong feelings for, compassionately asked, “You want to stay on the _Second Chance_ for this mission, Ahsoka?”

 

“No. Thank you, though. I need a good, hard mission in order to take my mind off of the choice that I’ve made.” Ahsoka replied in gentle rejection of her boyfriend’s request. 

 

“All right.” Tau hesitatingly said before he added, “You feel like you can’t handle the mission, just let me know, and you can head back to the ship. Promise me, Ahsoka.”

 

“I promise you, Tau.” Ahsoka said as she slowly came out of the warm embrace, and kissed him on his lips with a tenderness that he slowly reciprocated.

 

After about ten seconds of kissing, the couple separated, and Tau then sternly said to Bardan and A’Sharad, “After we save Celeste, you two and I are going to have a nice, long talk about this.”

 

“Fair enough.” A’Sharad said as he and Bardan followed the couple to the boarding ramp, where Arden and Ventis awaited the rest of their strike team’s arrival.

 

As soon as they appeared, Ventis concernedly asked Ahsoka, “Are you all right? You felt as if your heart was breaking in that room.” He then turned his head to face Bardan and A’Sharad, and said, “What did those two say to you?”

 

“Only the cold, hard truth on a crucial matter that I may be the only one that can solve.” Ahsoka cryptically said, as she knew that now was not the time for divisions within the team, not with a confrontation with an ancient Sith Lord’s spirit on the horizon.

 

Not liking the vague answer in the slightest, but, knowing that the full answer would likely lead to infighting among the team, Ventis decided to drop the matter for now.

 

_Twenty-Five Minutes Later_

_On Moon F32W45S23T, Two Parsecs from Aridus_

_Two Kilometers from Celeste Morne’s Last Known Location_

 

“All right. We all know the plan here. We go in, destroy the Muur Talisman, and rescue Celeste Morne from both her physical and spiritual imprisonment. We’ll be dropped off two klicks from her last known location, and make our way to her on foot. Any questions?” Tau grimly said, knowing that the team was in danger from both within and without.

 

“What are we doing standing around talking about this? Let’s get on with the mission” Arden eagerly said, ready to get her hands bloody again with some action. She was wearing full body armor, and was equipped with two blasters, and a Dunedain sword. She used this equipment because, despite her resistance to using a lightsaber, she knew that, in this dangerous situation, practicality won out over personal preferences.

 

Everyone else wore their customized body armor of various designs, with their Lightsabers equipped to their belts, while Tau wore his brother’s customized Jedi Combat armor, and had his vonduum crab lightsaber and Edaan’s personal lightsaber attached to his belt. 

 

“No other questions?” Tau said, awaiting a response, but was awarded with nothing but silence. After about five seconds, he said, “All right, let’s get started.” With that, the six Force-sensitives jumped off of the ship, and the Second Chance made its way into the moon’s orbit in order to avoid the risk of falling victim to the powers of the Muur Talisman.

 

Tau then reached out with his Force Sense, and quickly found a hidden presence that contained an immensely powerful mixture of both the Light and Dark Sides of the Force. He then said to his compatriots, “I found her. Two kilometers due east. Let’s get moving. I’m willing to bet that either of our hosts sensed my little trick.”

 

With that said, the six friends swiftly began their journey to save a fellow Jedi from the darkness that threatened to devour her whole. 

 

_Meanwhile, in the Unidentified Ruins_

_Two Kilometers Away_

 

Celeste Morne thought that she had finally snapped. After four long years of isolation on this desolate moon, with no true company besides the Sith Spirit of Karness Muur, she had all but given up hope that anyone would come to save her, especially a Jedi, after she had learned from a dead historian that they and the Republic was overthrown by the Sith. She had sensed an immensely powerful Jedi use the Force to locate her, and responded back with equal amounts of hope and fear. She then used the Force to sense six powerful individuals racing towards her location, and she began to believe that Zayne Carrick’s last promise to her would finally be fulfilled.

 

“ _Oh, do not be fooled by these supposed Jedi, Celeste Morne._ ” Said the fiery specter of Karness Muur, who took this moment to appear from the Muur Talisman, and hovered in front of the Jedi Shadow. He then continued to speak, saying, “ _Why would six Jedi come here to save you, after nearly four thousand years of imprisonment with me? They are acolytes of Lord Vader, and they are here to destroy you and claim my talisman for their own usage. Your only hope of survival is to give yourself over to me. Only together can we hope to survive this attack on our lives._ ”

 

“Never.” Morne growled out, tired of the Sith Lord’s constant attempts to let him take control of her body for his twisted plans of galactic conquest. As she spoke, however, a seed of fear emerged from her heart, as a part of her worried that, for once, Karness was telling the truth, and that these Jedi were coming to destroy her.

 

Deciding to rely on her Jedi teachings by placing her trust in the Force, and not in the treacherous hands of Muur, she sat in a meditative positon and awaited the imminent arrival of the six Jedi, where her fate would at last be decided.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone. Surprised to see me so soon after another update? Well, don’t be, as this story is both a constructive outlet for my creativity and love of the Star Wars Expanded Universe. So, how are you doing on the afternoon of February 20, 2018? I’m doing well, but I won’t be able to write for too long for most of the rest of the day, because I have class in less than two hours, which will, ironically enough, last for at least two hours. So, when we last left our heroes, they had arrived to help Celeste Morne free herself from Sith torment by destroying the Sith artifact known as the Muur Talisman, which is the source of the Rakghoul Plague, and the vessel that contains the spirit of the ancient Sith Lord Karness Muur. And, to further raise the stakes, Ventis was going to lead the mission in destroying the talisman, thanks to his gift of the Shatterpoint ability. Well, without further ado, let’s get started on this chapter.

“So, can we expect any Rakghouls prowling the ruins when we reach them?” Ahsoka asked Tau as the six Shadow Alliance members quickly made their way to the ruins that her boyfriend managed to locate.

 

“Unlikely. I didn’t sense any other presences in the Force when I probed the ruins, and the Second Chance’s sensors only found one life sign in the vicinity. Unless Muur found a way to mask their presence from modern technology, as well as preserve their lifespan through Sith sorcery, then the Rakghouls likely cannibalized each other for food, and they would have died off over three years ago.” Tau replied, seeing the skeleton of a Rakghoul that, from a brief glance, looked to be about four years old.

 

Motioning for the group to stop, he had them take a look at the corpse. Arden impatiently asked, “What are we doing standing around a decaying skeleton? We have a Jedi to save.”

 

“This Rakghoul wasn’t a Stormtrooper, which belies the question of just who was this victim of the Muur Talisman.” Tau inquisitively said, an idea forming in his mind.

 

He then said, “I’ll be a minute. I need to Flow-walk back in time in order ot figure out the person’s identity.”

 

Out of everyone who was with Tau, the only person who knew what he was talking about was Arden, due to her deceased lover’s travels in discovering other Force schools, and she looked less than pleased about Tau using one of the Aing-Tii’s most sacred abilities so blatantly.

 

She then said, “Why would you want to travel back in time in order to discover the cause of one person’s death?”

 

“Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling that there’s more to this story than meets the eye.” Tau mysteriously said. He then continued, saying, “Worst case scenario, we lose only a few minutes of time.”

 

“Yeah, and those few minutes could be the only thing that could save us. I say that we help Celeste now, and afterwards, you can investigate this little matter of yours.” Ventis said, taking charge of the mission that his own master trusted him with.

 

After a moment of silence, Tau nodded in acceptance at the decision, and said, “Very well. This is your mission, so we’ll do it your way. Maybe we can get some answers from Celeste instead.”

 

As Ventis prepared to continue to lead the team and mission, Tau complimented him by saying, “I guess that the bet has really boosted your confidence, because the Ventis that I first met would never have taken command like that. Daniel would be proud of you.”

 

Ventis smiled at the remark before he resumed running towards the ruins, with the rest of the team close behind him.

 

_Fifteen Minutes Later_

_At_ _the Unidentified Ruins_

 

“This is it. I can sense an immensely powerful dark presence inside, so Muur must be in here.” Ventis said, remembering with vivid clarity the darkness of the Sith of his time, which made him shiver in fear of being reminded of those horrific years of torture and experimentation.

 

“I can sense a bright presence as well, but it’s tinted with… sorrow, and loss.” Ahsoka said, extending her Force sense as well within the ruins.

 

“Then that must be Celeste. No surprise there, as waking up nearly four thousand years later, only to discover everything that she knew and loved was destroyed by the Sith can drive anyone mad.” Arden sympathetically said in reference to Celeste’s obvious mental state. She then said, “Well, we’re not going to save Celeste by standing around and using the Force, so let’s get moving.” She then pulled out her Dunedain sword and slowly advanced into the ruins, with everyone else following behind her with their lightsabers drawn but unlit, not intending to scare away the former Jedi Covenant Shadow.

 

As the six Force-sensitives slowly advanced into the ruins, A’Sharad decided to see if Celeste would respond to the group’s inquiries, and loudly said, “Celeste? Celeste Morne!”

 

“Well, so much for the element of surprise.” Bardan lightheartedly muttered as he activated his helmet’s Head-Up Display mode, and searched the room in infrared vision, only to detect a heat signature about fifty meters up ahead. He then said to his comrades, “Guys, I’ve got her. Fifty meters at Twelve Hundred.”

 

The group then continued its slow advance, and, as they approached the room where Celeste resided, their eyes confirmed what they already knew: Celeste Morne the current, and hopefully, last, wielder of the Muur Talisman was sitting on the ground in a Jedi meditative position. 

 

Just when they did not expect it, Celeste opened her blue eyes and said, “So, Zayne was able to send someone after all, even after dying nearly four thousand years ago. I certainly did not expect one of them to be a Force-sensitive Mandalorian after all of the harm that they caused the galaxy in my time.”

 

Tau, thanks to Revan’s instruction of his brother, knew who she was talking about when she mentioned the former Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick, and politely said, “The Force does work in strange ways, Jedi Morne.” He knew that now was not the time to discuss his faith in Iluvatar, and, focusing on the matter at hand, said, “We have come to set you free from your imprisonment by destroying the Muur Talisman.”

 

Celeste then looked crestfallen as Karness’s specter appeared, and, after laughing haughtily, said, “ _Foolish Jedi. The Muur Talisman cannot be destroyed! I designed it so that it could endure the end of time itself._ ”

 

In response to those arrogant words, Tau smugly smirked as he said, “You mean Sorzus Syn designed the Muur Talisman. I bet that you didn’t know that she had designed a second talisman for your old rival, Remulus Dreypa, in order to pit you two against each other for eternity,” Seeing the scowl on the Sith Lord’s face at the mention of his old enemy, he continued, saying, “And, I’m willing to wager that you didn’t know of Syn’s plans to make a third talisman that would surpass her two previous creations, making her the superior of the three of you.”

 

“ _How could you possibly know that?_ ” Muur menacingly whispered as Morne began to wonder just who this young man was, and if he could be trusted due to his apparent extensive knowledge of the ancient Sith.

 

“That’s for me to know, and for you to never find out, Muur.” Tau simply said as his apprentice began to walk in front of him, and slowly approached Celeste, who could sense a pall of regret and anger hanging over the Jedi’s heart.

 

“Who are you?” Celeste cautiously said as she stood up from her meditative position, and felt the aging man mentally prepare himself for being a conduit for the Force energy of his five companions.

 

“My name is Ventis Uriel, and I am going to lead the efforts in saving you from your torment.” Ventis said with as much confidence that he could muster.

 

“ _Ha! I doubt that, Jedi. I can sense the fear permeating your heart and soul. What makes you think that a pathetic wretch like yourself can end me?_ ” Karness said in derision of the

 

“Because I have the Shatterpoint ability, the one thing that can take you down, Muur.” Ventis grimly said, which made Muur look at him with a glint of fear in his eyes.

 

He then said, “This is for all of the innocent people that your damned Rakghoul Plague corrupted and killed.” He then began to feel the molecular fractures within the Muur Talisman, and, once he found the fault lines that he was looking for, he, along with Tau, Ahsoka, A’Sharad, Arden, and Bardan, began to pour their Force energy into the miniscule weakness, and the Muur Talisman began to form small cracks from the excess Force power.

 

Muur, seeing that his life was in mortal danger, began to resist the attack on his talisman by unleashing immense waves of Dark Side energy from the talisman. The influx of power pushed back everyone but Celeste, Ventis, and Tau, who were prepared for the attack thanks to their training to resist Dark Side influences.

 

“ _Give up, Jedi, the three of you cannot hope to defeat me. I was one of the creators of the true Sith Order. I have transcended the limits of flesh and blood, and unleashed havoc on countless peoples over millennia. You are nothing before me!_ ”

 

Ventis, beginning to fear the possibility of defeat, suddenly remembered the Númenoriansong that always invigorated him to continue fighting. He began to sing “Fires of War”,

 

“ _Stone by stone_

_Cracked, crushed, fallen_

_Beauty burned, erased_

_But not forgotten.”_

“ _What is this infernal song?_ ” Karness angrily said, sensing Ventis’s confidence beginning to rise, and the assault on his Talisman resumed in full force, as more fractures began to appear. 

“ _I’ll take your melodies_

_May your last breath_

_Fill the air with embers_

_I inhale_.”

 

By this point, Tau had begun singing alongside Ventis, and master and apprentice were working in perfect sync. Their many hours of working and training together helped them knew about their respective strengths and weaknesses. In addition, Celeste, despite not knowing the song, knew that it was intended to give the two Jedi hope, and added her Force energies to the battle for her freedom.

 

“ _In their blood I will stand_

_Let the waning light of man_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_

_Till our time burns away_

_Till our embers fade to grey_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_.”

The Muur Talisman was, at this point, trembling from the assault on it, as its inhabitant was not prepared for this level of strength from just three Jedi. During this battle, Ahsoka and Bardan were able to rise to their feet, and resumed helping the three Jedi in their little war as they too sang “Fires of War” alongside their friends. 

“ _My grief is swollen_

_In rusty chains_

_Tethered to the killing wheel_

_Sun up, sun down, sun up, sun down, again_

_One burning candle_

_One wind whipped flame_

_I carry in my teeth like an animal_

_Vengeance my strength_.”

Muur knew that he could not withstand the continued bombardment of Light Side energy for much longer. In a final, last-ditch effort to survive, he detached his talisman from Celeste, and prepared to latch itself to Ventis, only to be pushed back by A’Sharad and Arden’s usage of the Force, knocking off two of its golden tentacles, and immobilizing the decaying Sith artifact as the song was about to reach its crescendo.

“ _In their blood I will stand_

_Let the waning light of man_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_

_Till our time burns away_

_Till our embers fade to grey_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_ _!_ ”

 

As the song ended, the seven practitioners of the Light Side of the Force reached the core of the Muur Talisman. They then, with their combined strength, managed to purify it with the Force, eradicating the spirit of the talisman’s sole inhabitant.

 

Karness, with his dying breath, then let out a powerful scream in the Force, which echoed throughout the entire galaxy, and was felt by the most powerful servants of both sides of the Force.

 

_Meanwhile, On Imperial Center_

_Within the Imperial Palace_

Darth Vader was destroying the last of the ASP-19 battle droids that was programmed to kill him when he felt the scream of the spirit of Karness Muur, and he nearly stumbled to the ground. The ASP droid, seeing a moment of weakness, prepared to deal a finishing blow against the Sith Lord when the voice of Darth Sidious suddenly said, “Droid, stand down.”

 

With that said, the training droid deactivated itself, and Vader quickly rose to his feet. He turned to face his master, and said as calmly as he could, “Tau and his allies have struck again.”

 

“Yes, my apprentice. I saw them eradicating the Muur Talisman, and the spirit of Karness Muur within it. This is a grievous loss.” Sidious solemnly said, knowing that the loss of the Muur Talisman meant that the Rakghouls could never return, or use the talisman as a weapon and example to keep the worlds of the galaxy in check.

 

What Sidious failed to sense, however, was the fear that coursed through his apprentice, as Vader knew that, with the Muur Talisman destroyed, the Shadow Alliance would gain the help of the Jedi Celeste Morne, who knew of Vader’s attempts to recruit her as a Sith Apprentice. If the Shadow Alliance capitalized on this opportunity, then Vader’s life would hang in the balance of his master’s non-existent mercies.

 

Fortunately for Vader, Sidious was too distracted by his schemes and plans that he was forming in his head. He then turned to his Sith pupil, and said, “Order Grand Moff Tarkin to accelerate the construction of Sentinel Base. I want it to leave the Geonosis System within six months. We will take it to Khar Shian for the next phase of construction.”

 

“What of the Geonosians, Master? What if they would dare to reveal the weapon to our enemies?” Vader asked, as he was quite eager to destroy another reminder of Anakin Skywalker’s past.

 

“The answer is obvious, Lord Vader. We cannot risk the Geonosians revealing our plans before we are ready. Nevertheless, at the same time, we may need their expertise in weapons construction in the future. Therefore, we must kill off the majority of the Geonosians so that they will be too focused on looking to their own in order to be a nuisance for at least a generation. Order them to sterilize the most populated portions of the planet when the Death Star is hyperspace capable.” Sidious said in a tone that befitted an annoyed teacher instructing his student how to solve a simple problem instead of the ruler of the Sith’s galactic empire.

 

“As you wish, my master. I will go to inform Grand Moff Tarkin of this change at once.” Vader said as he departed to go inform the Empire’s first grand moff of his new schedule, grateful for evading suspicion for his duplicity, while Sidious continued to contemplate other ways to counter the growing threat of Tau Palpatine.

 

_Concurrently, On Dagobah_

 

While Yoda, the former Grand Master of the Jede Order before its destruction, prepared his usual assortment of food for dinner, he felt a dark shudder in the Force. It felt as if a great and terrible evil was eradicated from existence, but who or what it was, he could not identify it. All that he could determine was that it was a very ancient evil, and it was destroyed by several Jedi, including A’Sharad Hett and four others that he could not recognize, and Ahsoka Tano and Bardan Jusik, both of which left the Jedi Order during the Clone War for different reasons.

 

As he tried to meditate in order to understand what the vision meant, he heard the voice of his teacher, Qui-Gon Jinn, say, “ _Do not fear, Yoda. The Jedi have destroyed the spirit of the ancient Jedi Exile and Sith Lord who called himself Karness Muur._ ”

 

Yoda was, to put it lightly, stupefied to hear this, as he had not heard that name in many years sicne his time in the Jedi Archives of Coruscant. He then said, “Understand, I do not.”

 

“ _Two years ago, a Jedi Knight was sent back in time in order to help prepare the galaxy for what is to come. Ever since then, he has been building an alliance so he can wage war against Sidious and Vader’s forces, as well as the threats that will soon arrive in full force._ ” Qui-Gon explained, which filled Yoda’s heart with dread and sorrow, for he did not want any more Jedi to go to war as he did.

 

Qui-Gon then consolingly said, “ _Do not fear for the Jedi, my friend. This Jedi will ensure the Order’s survival and rebirth into something greater and stronger than the one of our time._ ”

 

“Wish I do, to know who this Jedi is, Master.” Yoda politely inquired, as he wished to know who was going to lead the Jedi Order into a new age.

 

“ _His name is Tau Palpatine, and he is both a Jedi Knight, and descendant of Darth Sidious. The ones that created the universe, as well as the Force, sent him here. He is to be trusted. You will meet him when the time comes, and offer him guidance when he is at his lowest point._ ”Qui-Gon said as the former Jedi Grand Master felt the presence of his master vanish, leaving the near-nine-hundred-year-old man alone to contemplate the revelations that he had just learned.

 

“Never easy, the life of a Jedi is.” Yoda annoyingly said, knowing that he would not be able to eat for the rest of the day, and dumped his dinner out of his hut’s window in order to meditate over this new development. 

 

_Meanwhile, On Moon F32W45S23T, Two Parsecs from Aridus_

 

“You have my thanks for freeing me from my torment, fellow Jedi.” Celeste said in gratitude as she took in her allies in destroying the Muur Talisman. She noticed that one of them was a Togruta in her late teens to early twenties, while the rest were humans of various ages and clothing. Each of the six individuals that she was conversing with had a degree of dark emotions within them, but they were kept in check by their devotion to the Light Side of the Force, which both astounded Celeste, and made her wonder how grim the state of the galaxy was under Darth Vader’s rule.

 

The youngest of the humans, who wore a type of Jedi armor that Celeste could not recognize, and had the strongest connection to the Force, graciously said, “You are welcome, Celeste Morne.”

 

His face then turned serious, and said, “I gather that you have many questions for us, but we have to leave this moon before the Empire gets here, as I’m sure that Sidious and Vader will have felt the echoes of Muur’s destruction.”

 

“Then I will call Akuu and have him pick us up. We can head to Dantooine to plan our next move from there.” The tattooed human man said as he pulled out a comlink, and began to speak into it.

 

“Dantooine?” Celeste said, wondering why this group would travel to where such a well-known Jedi Enclave once resided, as she figured that the Sith would have destroyed it sometime during their rise to power.

 

“There’s a rebel cell there that our allies agreed to rendezvous with us there. Don’t worry about the Empire finding us for now. The Jedi haven’t had a presence there in millennia, plus it’s close to the shipping lanes, and it’s obscure enough so that we can operate there with little to no attention. ” The Togruta said, which increased Celeste’s curiosity even more.

 

_Twenty Minutes Later_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

_In Hyperspace_

_Forty-Eight Hours From Dantooine_

“Well, welcome to our merry group.” Tau said as he finished introducing his crew to their recent addition, who bowed in gratitude for them welcoming her onto their ship, even if she thought that its design, both exterior and interior, was very bizarre.

 

“It’s an honor to meet you all.” Celeste said in appreciation for the group’s hospitality.

 

“Don’t mention it, Celeste. However, I would like to evaluate you in order to make sure that your psyche is stable, due to your… extreme circumstances.” Jarael said in her trademark professional tone.

 

“Of course. However, first, I need to know what the state of the galaxy is, since I’ve been imprisoned in a Sith Oubliette for nearly four millennia, and trapped on that Force-forsaken moon for four years. I need to know just how the Sith took over the Republic, and decimated the Jedi.” Celeste said, desperate for answers before she went with Jarael for her exam.

 

“It’ll take too long to explain everything that happened since Jebble was bombarded by Cassus Fett’s nuclear weapons to you. I’ll share the information with you by letting you into my mind. Fair warning, my mind has… a lot of terrible facts and memories to absorb, so we’ll have to take it in stages.” Tau said in both a proposal and a warning.

 

Celeste chuckled at the declaration, and then said, “Tau, I’ve done a lot of shady things for the Jedi Covenant, so I think that I can handle whatever you’ve got wrapped in your head.”

 

“All right, don’t say that I didn’t warn you. We’ll start with the first thirteen years of your imprisonment, as that will tell you of the both the Covenant’s self-destruction, and the First Jedi Purge.” Tau said as he sat down, and motioned for Celeste to do the same. Once their minds formed a mental connection, the transference of memories began, and Celeste started to see the lessons that a man who looked just like Tau learned from a Mandalorian-helmeted Jedi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends the shortest chapter that I’ve written so far. So, what did you guys think? I know that it was a bit anticlimactic, but I didn’t want the fight to drag on, and I wanted to give Ventis a big chance to shine. So, now an ancient Sith Lord has been destroyed, but both the Rule of Two Sith and Yoda know of it. How the actions of the crew of the Second Chance will continue to affect the galaxy will be anyone’s guess, but I can promise you that it will be an amazing ride for everyone. Anyway, how have you guys been today? I’m doing well, as I did some homework and yard work, and read some good fanfictions, especially Iron117Prime’s Avatar/TMNT crossover, Worlds Collide. Let me tell you, that fanfiction takes me back to the good old days of my childhood. Well, I guess that that’s it for the night of February 21, 2018. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	27. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone. What’s up with you all on the warm, but solemn, day of February 22, 2018? I’m doing all right, as I went to school, bought Injustice 2 #20, did some schoolwork after I got home, and now I’m working on the next chapter of my story. However, before I get started on it, I’d like to ask each of you to give a moment of silence for the passing of the worldwide known evangelist, Billy Graham, as I found out that he died yesterday at the old age of 99 years old. I once visited his library in North Carolina, and read several books about him and his family, and I was touched by his simple but effective devotion to God and Jesus. Let his legacy and example be a shining beacon for everyone on this earth on how to love everyone, regardless of trivial matters such as race, ethnicity, or religion. 
> 
> Anyway, I saw the Star Wars comics solicitations for May 2018, and I hope that I can collect some of them, as several of them look very good. Oh, and so do the Injustice 2 comics, which is the series that I still collect individual issues at my local comic book store. Well, I’d better get to writing, as I have so much to write about this chapter. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me.

_Two Hours Later_

_Forty-Six Hours From Dantooine_

 

Celeste Morne was, to put it lightly, horrified at the revelations that she had seen. Due to the hidden Sith Acolyte Haazen’s manipulations, the Jedi Covenant was corrupted and destroyed, with Krynda Draay and so many other good Jedi dying for one selfish man’s treachery. The only good things about this were that Zayne Carrick was able to clear his name and live his own life, and that Lucien Draay, Krynda’s only child, as well as Zayne’s former Jedi Master, was able to escape and form another Jedi convenant. This one focused on surviving the coming tribulations, and was able to survive the Mandalorian Wars, as well as the subsequent Jedi Civil War and Sith Civil War.

 

Each war proved to be more terrible for the galaxy and Jedi Order than the last. It was only thanks to a reformed and amnesiac Revan, formerly known as “The Revanchist”, and Meetra Surik, one of Revan’s best generals, for ending the Jedi Civil War and Sith Civil War, and allowing the Jedi Order a chance to rebuild its ranks.

 

Sadly, tragedy stuck again when Revan was captured by a resurrected Sith Empire, which was made up of survivors of the Great Hyperspace War, while Meetra was killed by a treacherous ally who had his own plans for destroying Vitiate, the Sith emperor who planned to achieve immortality through consuming all life in the galaxy.

 

The news broke Celeste’s heart, as she realized that, for all of her Covenant’s supposed achievements, they, along with the entire galaxy, were blind to the True Sith, which were directly responsible for both the Mandalorian Wars and Jedi Civil War.

 

She was so distracted by her sorrow that she missed Jarael’s last question, and the Iskalloni had to repeat herself, saying, “Jedi Morne? Jedi Morne. What was the last planet that you were on before Jebble?”

 

Celeste snapped back to reality, and said, “Taris. What exactly is the point of these questions, again? I would have thought that Tau and the others would have all of the information they needed about me.”

 

 “We do. This is just to make sure that your mind was able to handle the strain of seeing into Tau’s memories, as they are quite traumatic.” Jarael replied as she examined Celeste’s pupils for any reflex issues.

 

“I gathered that much.” Celeste sarcastically said as she blinked her eyes in order to recover her full sight. She then anxiously asked, “When can I see the next set of memories?”

 

“Not for another three hours, Jedi Morne. You need some rest in order for your mind to fully process the memories. I would recommend that you got to know the rest of the _Second Chance_ ’s crew, as you have just under two days to spend with them before we arrive at Dantooine.” Jarael said in a manner that belonged to a woman that would not take “no” as an answer.

 

“Fine.” Celeste reluctantly said in compliance. She then got off the examination table and headed to the ship’s main hall, with Jarael close behind her. When the two women entered the room, they saw A’Sharad Hett, a Jedi Master from the Jedi Order that was decimated four years previously, sparring with Arden Lyn, the lover of the deceased Dark Jedi leader Xendor, who was trapped in a stasis pod for over twenty-four millennia, which made Celeste’s near-four-thousand year stay in stasis look like a small nap.

 

Both Jedi were fighting in hand-to-hand combat, with the entire crew of the _Second Chance_ in attendance through sitting or standing in one place or another. Neither opponent could gain an advantage over the other due to their unique combat styles.

 

As they each traded an equal amount of blows, Ventis saw Celeste, and motioned for her to sit next to her, as he did not wish for the former Jedi Shadow to stand all by herself while the sparring session was going on. 

 

Once Celeste sat down next to the Jedi Apprentice, he sympathetically asked, “How are you holding up, Celeste? I imagine that you finding out about… well, how everything has changed from what you knew has been a traumatic time, as I know how that feels from personal experience.” 

 

“What, you mean that you were trapped in stasis with a Sith spirit for several millennia?” Celeste quipped as she cocked an eyebrow at the former Inquisitor.

 

“No. I mean that I was the victim of the Sith’s twisted plans, and I lost several decades of my life through it, so I have a good idea of what you’re going through.” Ventis enigmatically said to Celeste, which piqued her interest.

 

“You should be proud of yourself, Celeste. Ventis doesn’t usually talk so openly about his past to people, even his closest friends.” Jarael said, surprised with Ventis being so willing to give hints about his past to anyone, especially a Jedi who’s life mission was to destroy or capture anything related to the Sith.

 

Before Celeste could respond, she heard two loud grunts, and she turned her head to see both A’Sharad and Arden falling on the ground from knocking each other out from powerful blows to their heads.

 

Jarael then walked over to the two Jedi, and gently examined each unconscious Jedi with her years of experience as a medic. After a minute of checking over her friends, she turned to face the rest of the ship’s crew, and said, “Don’t worry, they’ll be fine after a couple hours of rest in their bunks. Can some of you guys help me move them there?”

 

With that, Bardan, Akuu, and Tau went to help Jarael move her two new patients to their bunks.

 

While they did that, Ahsoka said to Celeste, “So, Celeste, You got any good stories for us, as a Jedi that dedicated her whole life in protecting the galaxy from the Sith must have some exciting adventures for us?”

 

“Most of my ‘adventures’ involve doing very dark and disturbing things.” Celeste said as she tried to turn down the request.

 

“Oh, come on. Everyone has some stories to tell. How about I tell you of how the Shadow Alliance began in this time on my home world of Arda? It has plenty of action, along with love, redemption, and other exciting elements that the people of all kinds enjoy.” Celebion proposed, with everyone else now clamoring for the story to be told, as they either fought on the War for Arda, or heard the story from Tau and his debriefings.

 

“Why not? It’ll be a good learning experience.” Celeste said in consent.

 

With that, Celebion began his tale, saying, “It began two years ago, with a Jedi ship above my home world crash landing on the world of Arda…”

 

_Two Hours Later_

_Forty-Four Hours From Dantooine_

 

“When the infiltration of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant was completed, we all wnet our separate ways in order to help build up the Shadow Alliance in order to take over the Galactic Empire from the inside. My daughter and son-in-law went with Viridian, Daniel, and their loved ones to Remnamt to help the people there, while we decided to use Tau’s knowledge of the future to prepare the galaxy for our takeover. This way, we can spread Iluvatar’s light throughout more of the galaxy through two fronts.  As well as prepare the galaxy from Sauron and the Yuuzhan Vong, to name just two of the threats that we will soon face.” Celebion concluded as he finished his tale on the War for Arda.

 

Celeste could not even comprehend what she had heard: A handful of Jedi, including Tau, who came seventy years from the future an army of renegade Imperials, Clone Troopers, Mandalorians, battle droids from a separatist movement, a race of humans that called themselves the Cartheans, rebelling members of an extragalactic race known as the Yuuzhan Vong, and members of the four free races of the people of Arda, managed to defeat a rogue lesser Celestial known as Sauron, his armies of barbarious Orcs, and the Yuuzhan Vong from a scout force that he managed to deceive into worshiping his former master, the renegade greater Celestial known as Morgoth, which allowed the fallen Maia to gain their undying aid in his plans for his eventual galactic conquest.

 

To add further fuel to her disbelief, the Jedi managed to meet with the Valar, or main Celestials, including the first Celestial in all of existence, Iluvatar himself. They gave the Jedi many tools and weapons to aid them in their coming struggles, and they resolved to recreate the Shadow Alliance of Tau’s brother, Edaan Palpatine, in his time.

 

After a year of preparing Arda for the probability of future invasions, they discovered the threat of the Nephilim near the Unknown Regions after investigating a fake distress signal. They then helped two Jedi and their team in finding a cure to a Sith poison that was slowly killing the majority of the second team by reaching them at Coruscant before the Empire killed them. They then infiltrated the fallen Jedi Temple on Coruscant, where they encountered Darth Vader, who Celeste was intimately familiar with, given that he was the one that freed her from the stasis chamber. 

 

What shook Celeste to the deepest part of her core was the fact that the Sith Lord was once a renowned Jedi Knight named Anakin Skywalker, who was reputed to be the Chosen One, a prophesized being that was supposed to bring balance to the Force. Instead, his fear of losing his loved ones led him down the path that so many other Jedi traveled on, and twisted him into Darth Vader, the apprentice of Darth Sidious, the ruling Dark Lord of the Sith, who was also Tau’s great-great-grandfather, and the ruler of the Galactic Empire that supplanted the Old Republic.

 

Tau, through his extensive knowledge of the past, was able to keep Vader at bay long enough for the rest of the team to find the antidote for the Sith poison, and allowed everyone on both sides to escape to fight another day.

 

Once the cure was administered to the poison’s victims, Tau and his team left the Unknown Regions in order to build up the Shadow Alliance’s power in the known galaxy. They had already made significant headway in their goal through recruiting several anti-Imperial Senators, a small but deadly clan of Mandalorians, several surviving Jedi, a handful of rebel cells, and Imperial officers, both of moderate to the highest levels of Imperial command.

 

Celeste whistled her amazement of the tale, and said, “Well, that puts my stories to shame. I never had the luxury of working alongside so many noble people, or working out in the open like you guys did.”

 

“You should have met my brother, Celeste. Edaan would have had hundreds of stories to tell you, and each tale was more far-fetched than the last.” Tau said, walking into the room alongside Akuu, Bardan, Jareal, and Butch.

 

Unfortunately for the Sith hound, Celeste did not know of Butch’s loyalties, so she stood up, activated her lightsaber, and said with as much calmness as she could at this shocking revelation, “Tau, why is there a Tuk’ata hound on your ship when he should be killed on the spot?”

 

Butch appeared hurt at the insult the Jedi Shadow threw at him, and whimpered in sadness of the jab, which made Tau kneel to the ground and rub his head. While he did so, he said to Celeste, “Butch is my loyal friend and companion. He was brought into the light be Edaan, and I brought him with me on my journey in order to honor my brother’s memory. He’s actually quite adorable, once you get to know him. ” 

 

Celeste became very confused at once, as she had never heard of a Tuk’ata hound being loyal to anyone but a Sith. She then said, “H-how can that possibly be true? I thought that Tuk’atas were Dark Side creatures, and were enemies of the Jedi and the Light. And, even if your claims are true, then why wasn’t he with you guys when you rescued me?”

 

“That’s another one of Edaan’s miracles, Celeste.” Tau nostalgically said as Celeste deactivated her lightsaber. He then continued, saying, “Anyway, Butch didn’t come with us because I ordered him to stay behind, as I didn’t want to risk Karness killing or corrupting him.”

 

Tao then rose up in order to allow Butch to go and greet the newest member of the team. The sentient animal walked over to Celeste, sniffed her leg, and began to lick her in affection, causing her to feel a strong sense of awkwardness at the situation. On the other hand, everyone else began to laugh at the grimace on the woman’s face, and once she shot each of them glares in an attempt to get them to stop, they laughed even harder.

 

After two minutes of incessant laughter, everyone began to calm down, and, to Celeste’s relief, the noise stopped altogether soon enough. “Thank you.” She said once everyone stopped laughing. She then turned to Tau, and said, “I think that I’m ready for the next session.”

 

“Actually, I think that it would be better if we had just one last session tomorrow so you can get some rest. You can learn about the rest from both Edaan’s holocron and my library at your own pace. I don’t want you to feel too overwhelmed by all of this knowledge coming into your mind in such a brief period of time.” Tau said, remembering how difficult it was for Celeste to process the images of the period leading up to and around the First Jedi Purge. 

 

Celeste, in gratitude for Tau thinking of her wellbeing, nodded her head in acceptance of the idea. She then asked, “Do you mind if I sleep in the cockpit? I always fell asleep easier in hyperspace after Ossus was destroyed.”

 

“No problem with me. Akuu?” Tau said as he turned to the Anzati in order to get his input, as he usually rested in the cockpit after putting in a couple extra hours of work on recalibrating the ship’s navigation systems.

 

“As long as she doesn’t mind a little noise for the next hour or two, I’m fine with it.” Akuu said as he shrugged his shoulders in agreement with the proposal.

 

“All right. Let’s all get some sleep, and we can reconvene in ten hours. Good night, everyone.” Tau said as he, Ahsoka, and Butch went to their shared cabin, while everyone else went to their usual sleeping arrangements on the _Second Chance_.

 

As Celeste walked with Akuu to the ship’s cockpit, she asked the Anzati Mandalorian, “Are Tau and Ahsoka married?”

 

Akuu stopped dead in his tracks at the question, and said, “No, they’re not. They haven’t even been dating for a month. Why do… Oh. No, no, no, don’t worry, Celeste. They’re not going to engage in sex, if that’s what you’re thinking. They’re just sleeping, in their clothes, in order to save space on the ship. Edaan and Adari used to do that all the time back in the- I mean, in my time. Well, this is why I hate time travel, you can’t figure out just what to say that’s grammatically correct.”

 

“At least you still have people that you know, and you have some familiarity with the galaxy. I don’t have anyone left from my time.” Celeste quipped as the two arrived in the cockpit, and she sat in the copilot’s seat in order to fall asleep.

 

“True enough, Celeste Morne. True enough.” Akuu acknowledged as he began to do his daily examination of the Second Chance’s systems. As he worked, Celeste quietly fell asleep, wondering just what mess did she land herself into this time.

 

*

 

“Well, today went well.” Ahsoka said as she sat on Tau’s bed and took off her boots, allowing her feet to feel the cool air of the ship before she snuggled close to Tau, who was already lying down in the bed.

 

“Tell me about it, Ahsoka. We helped rid the galaxy of a seven thousand year-old Sith Lord, and gained a Jedi Master in the process. I’d call today a good day.” Tau said as he moved to look at his girlfriend, and asked, “What did Bardan and A’Sharad tell you that made you so distraught?”

 

She sighed in defeat, as she knew that she couldn’t hide this from her boyfriend, and sadly said, “They told me of how Jaina had to kill Caedus out of love in order to save the galaxy, and how I may need to do the same to Anakin in order to set him free from his torment.” 

 

Tau then shot up and angrily said, “Why those two little- I can’t even…”

 

His train of thought was interrupted when Ahsoka put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and she tenderly said, “It’s okay, Tau. I… If Anakin can’t be saved, then I need to be the one to end his pain, because I’m the only one that can kill him for the right reasons. Everyone else is too full of hare and anger at him for his crimes.”

 

“Even if that’s true, they still had no right to place that burden on you. A person, no matter how strong their spirit may be, can only take so much in their own before they break.” Tau retorted, both out of anger at Bardan and A’Sharad for placing such a burden on her, and worry for Ahsoka’s emotional stability.

 

“Well, then I guess that it’s in Iluvatar’s hands now.” Ahsoka said, shocking Tau with his girlfriend’s newly declared faith in the first Celestial of all time. “Don’t look so surprised, Tau. I saw into your mind, and I witnessed your meeting with Iluvatar and the other Valar over a year ago. I actually wish that I was there for that.” 

 

“Well, that erases one worry from my mind.” Tau said, his voice full of relief that he could discuss his faith with one more person, especially a person who meant so much to him.

 

“Well, don’t sweat it. I’ll have plenty of other worries for you to deal with soon enough. I’m quite a handful.” Ahsoka said before she yawned, and said, “Well, good night, luv.”

 

The Togruta quickly fell asleep, and Tau soon followed, but not before gently kissing one of her montrals, and said, “Good night, Ahsoka.”

 

_Eleven Hours Later_

_Thirty-Three Hours From Dantooine_

_Thirty-Four Days Until_ _the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah’mu_

“ _You took out an ancient Sith Lord’s ghost through a song from Arda?!?_ ” Walon disbelievingly said as he processed the debriefing that Bardan had given Clan Skirata on the retrieval of Celeste Morne.

 

“That’s about the gist of it, Vau.” Arden said as she interjected herself into the conversation. She then said, “Ventis took the lead on this mission, and he really stepped up in leading the crew there. You had to be there in order to believe how well he handled himself there. In fact, he was the one that was responsible for destroying Muur’s spirit.”

 

“ _He did?!? Well, I guess that I underestimated Ventis’s growth under Tau’s tutelage._ ” Rahm incredulously said before he recomposed himself. He then asked, “ _So, where’s Ventis and the others?_ ”

 

“Everyone else is observing the memory transference between Tau and Celeste in order to make sure that nothing goes wrong. They’re all conversing about random topics in order to pass the time. So, how’s Whiplash treating you guys?” Bardan asked, wondering just how the Coruscant-based resistance cell was dealing with its influx of new guests.

 

“ _Well enough. The ex-prisoners are making themselves useful We’re just lucky that I’m a member, and that Jax Pavan and their leader, Thi Xon Yimmon, were able to recognize me and General Kota, or there would be a lot of dead bodies here._ ” Kal said in a grim attempt to inject some humor into the situation.

 

Bardan then chuckled in response, and, after sensing that the memory transfer between the two Jedi was complete, then said, “Well, _Buir_ , I’d better get going. Celeste got what she needed from Tau, and we’d better go to make sure that nothing went wrong. See you in a little while. Give Arla my love.”

 

“ _You can give it to her yourself,_ Bard’ika _. You’ll be here in less than a day and a half, after all. I’m not your personal comm device._ ” Kal said in good humor before he disconnected the holonet communication, leaving Bardan and Arden to go see how Celeste and Tau were doing.

 

Once they arrived in the main hall, they saw Celeste giving Tau a firm hug, while tears came gushing out of both Jedi’s eyes, which made them wonder just how graphic and detailed the memories that both Edaan and Tau had.

 

Once the two Jedi separated, Celeste sorrowfully said, “I’m so sorry for the trauma that you and Edaan had to go through, Tau. I’m only glad that all of the ones that devastated your family in your time have been brought to justice.”

 

“Thanks. That means a lot from a survivor of the Cron Supernova.” Tau said in gratitude to the older Jedi, before he stood up and said, “So, did you get everything that you needed from my memories?”

 

“I think so.”  Celeste solemnly replied as she stood up, and said, “You and your brother are better Jedi than I could ever hope to be.”

 

“Don’t sell yourself short, Celeste. My brother never was always a humble man and Jedi, and I’m just trying to follow in his example. You are a great Jedi in your own right, and we’re going to need every great person in their own way if we’re going to stand a chance against the Sith and the rest of our enemies.” Tau said in a tone that carried pride in his newfound friend.

 

“Well said, Tau.” Ahsoka said in praise of her boyfriend’s encouragement, and considered telling him of the plan to bring Micah and Chelli Lona Aphra into their alliance. She ultimately decided against it for the moment, but decided to tell him after the Second Chance made it to Dantooine’s Whiplash base.

 

Deciding to change the topic in order to avoid suspicion from her romantic partner, she said to Tau, “So, why don’t you tell everyone of Edaan’s quest to redeem Vestara Khai? That should at least take a few hours to tell such a brilliant tale.”

 

“Trying to pass the time with the tale of my brother’s final adventure? Fine, only because I love talking about Edaan so much.” Tau said in acquiesce, and turned to face Celeste and said, “Celeste, you already saw my memories, so you can go do what you want on the ship if hearing doesn’t suite your fancy. Arnine or Akuu can give you a tour of the ship if you want.”

 

“Thanks, but no thanks, Tau. I wouldn’t mind hearing the tale again. It’ll be interesting to hear everyone’s reactions to the story.” Celeste said in polite decline as Tau began to speak of Edaan’s final journey, starting with the latter’s visions of the One Sith’s poisoning of Dac, Da Soocha, and Naptu, and how he, his girlfriend and future wife, Adari Thayn, and R2-D2 stole the Millennium Falcon, a ship that was legendary for its one hundred and seventeen year-long history. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends a filler chapter of my story. Sorry that it took so long to write it, but I had a bunch of yard work, homework, and job work to do over the last three days, especially on today, which is February 24, 2018, and they took up a lot of my time. In fact, I’ll have even more to do for a couple of weeks, so my writing will come out a little less frequently than I like. But, I’m still as devoted as ever to writing. So, have you guys checked out some of my favorite stories, as they’re being updated with amazing chapters? I think that you should check them out if you have the time. So, what did you guys think of the chapter, as the next one will end the journey to Dantooine, and have our heroes meet with the members of Whiplash. It should be an interesting event, especially since some of Whiplash will come to the Shadow Alliance summit at Lah’mu. Well, I guess that that’s it for this update. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	28. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone. How are you doing on the night of February 25, 2018? I could be better, as I had to go to church early in the morning, then work for a seven hour shift at my movie theater, which is such a delight, and then do homework after having dinner at home. So, my day could have been better. Anyway, I’m back, and I’ll try to write as much as I can before fatigue sets in. So, this next chapter will conclude the interlude, and have the crew of the Second Chance meet up with the resistance group known as Whiplash, and meet back up with Clan Skirata and the Shadow Alliance’s new recruits, as well as meet Jax Pavan and his crew, and his apprentice in the Jedi Arts. Well, I’d better get to writing. Wish me luck.
> 
> (February 26, 2018 Addendum.) Good evening, everyone. What’s up on this warm evening? I’m a little sad, as I saw the movie Samson today at my local movie theater, and let me tell you, that movie was both sad and incredibly moving. I also did some homework, so I’m glad that that’s off of my plate. Anyway, my birthday is in two days, and I turn 23 that day, so wish me luck in another year of my life. Are you people listening to any music right now, as I’m listening to TobyMac, and his music is very powerful and uplifting for all the right reasons. Oh, before I forget, tomorrow is the fourth anniversary of when legendary Star Wars Expanded Universe author Aaron Allston died. That brings me much sorrow, as he was a legend, and an integral part of the SWEU to me. Well, back to writing.
> 
> (10:29 P.M. Addendum) Did you guys just see the latest Star Wars Rebels episodes? I did, and, by all that is good and noble in the world, those were the BEST EPISODES of the series YET!!! All I can say with certainty is two things: (1) The last three episodes of Star Wars Rebels will be the best ones of all time, and have me mourn its end, and (2) AHSOKA TANO LIVES!!! This throws such a hydrospanner into my work for continuity reasons. Ah, well, that’s the price we pay for not having the complete picture. Anyway, back to writing.

_Three Hours Later_

_Thirty Hours From Dantooine_

 

“Once Luke died, and Ben, Vestara, Adari, and Lon left for Kesh, we left for the Unknown Regions where Iluvatar called to me through the Force, and we got sent back in time to the mess that was Arda.” Tau said as he took a sip of his hot cocoa, which made him sigh in relief at tasting that sweet beverage that was Luke Skywalker’s favorite back in his time.

 

Each member of the crew shared a look of nostalgia of being a part of the first Shadow Alliance’s history, regret over their past sins in Tau’s time, or shock at the astounding, and nearly unbelievable tale that Tau had told of his genetic template and surrogate brother, Edaan Palpatine, the one who managed to redeem the Palpatine name after Sidious wadded it through the galactic sewers.

 

Arden was the first to regain her full bearings, and she said in pure disbelief, “Let me get this straight. You expect us to believe that Edaan, out of a brotherly love for Vestara after all of her horrendous crimes, and that says a lot, coming from me during and before my time as Sidious’s Hand, and with the guidance of five dead Jedi that were legends in their own times for their heroics and notoriety, managed to build an alliance out of the major galactic powers, the Jedi, many ex-Sith, which should be a red flag for the rest of you post-Ruusaan Jedi; these so-called Imperial Knights, over two thousand Yuuzhan Vong after they invaded the galaxy, and a major part of the criminal element? And, said alliance brought an end to an anarchist priest, ex-Imperial warlords and Force-hating bigots, rogue Mandalorians, and an entire order of Sith Lords? I’m sorry, but what chemicals are you drinking in that beverage of yours if you expect us to believe that… how do you people call it these days? _Poodoo_?”

 

“Don’t forget how he won the girl, and managed to take down Krayt by drawing on more power than any Jedi could have done so without their body being destroyed on the spot. Instead, he gained the power reservoirs of five of the best Jedi of all time, in addition to his own reserves, which allowed Edaan to finish the fight when I couldn’t.” Tau said, remembering, thanks to his Force-bond with Edaan, with vivid clarity what Edaan’s final words to Krayt were as he destroyed him.

 

_57 ABY_

_The Catacombs of Korriban_

 

_“You cannot pass!” Edaan shouted as he sensed his wife and former master appear behind him._

_“ **EDAAN!!!** ” Adari shrieked to her husband, who did not even look in her direction, as he was too focused in his trance. _

_Edaan then began to speak in a rising voice, and resolutely said, “I am a servant of the Living and Unifying Force, wielder of the blade of the Jedi Order.” He then ignited both his and Tau’s lightsabers, and raised them in a defiant manner. He then yelled out, “The Dark Side will not avail you, descendant of Jedi long gone!”_

_Krayt then smirked in amusement at Edaan’s speech, and then prepared to strike at the young man, but his lightsabers blew up in his hands, taking a portion of the flesh of his hands off of them, and he screamed in agony from the agonizing pain._

_“Go to chaos, Darth Krayt.” Edaan snarled out as he prepared his final attack on the now vulnerable A’Sharad Hett. And, for the first time in many decades, Krayt felt fear course throughout his body, and he used his remaining strength to charge up a torrent of Force Lightning at Edaan. However, before he could attack, Edaan bellowed, “ **YOU… SHALL NOT… PASS!!!** ” He then unleashed a barrage of pure Force energy at the Dread Lord of the Sith, and he screamed in agony as he was blasted into wall after wall until he fell into a bottomless chasm, screaming the entire time that he fell. _

_“It’s over.” Edaan thankfully said as he felt the presence of Darth Krayt vanish, and his strength began to leave his body at a faster pace than ever before, and quickly fell to the ground as a result. He then began to lose consciousness, and the last thing that he saw was Ben and Adari ran up to him, with Adari screaming his name the entire time._

 

Tau suddenly snapped out of his trance, and, with tears running down his face, he said, “Would you all like to hear Edaan’s final words to me and everyone that was with him when he died?”

 

Everyone, not wishing to disrespect Tau when he was still clearly grieving his brother’s death, nodded their heads in consent, and Tau went to get Edaan’s holocron from his cabin. Not a minute later, he returned, and activated it.

 

He then said, “Play recording of Edaan’s final moments before his passing.” With that said, the holocron activated, and showed a projection of Edaan lying on the medical table in his Sith Trooper armor, and Adari Thayn Palpatine, who was holding onto Edaan’s arm as the on-screen 2-1B droid tried in vain to keep Edaan alive long enough to receive proper medical help.

 

 ** _“EDAAN!!!_** _”_ Adari shrilled out as she immediately came above Edaan, and he could see the tears that were freely flowing from her eyes. _“Oh, Edaan. Hang on, luv. We’re in orbit above Korriban, and we’ll be on a_ _MedStar, in a little bit, and the doctors there will save you.”_ She then tenderly said, whichseemed to make Edaan’s face contort in sadness for an unkown reason.

_“_ _Adari... I’m so sorry, my love, but I’m afraid that I won’t last the hour. I’ve exhausted all of my energy, and I can feel my life force slipping away.”_ Edaan despondently said to his aghast spouse. 

_“_ _No. No, don’t say that, Edaan. We’ll find a way to save you, just hold on a little longer.”_ Adari practically begged to her husband.

_”Oh, Adari, I love you so much. I am so sorry that I have to leave you. But you have to carry on and lead your people into the new galactic age. Now, I need you to get the others and bring them to me, as I need to tell them of my visions.”_ Edaan tenderly said to the woman that he obviously so dearly loved.

Adari, realizing that Edaan did not have much time left, quickly followed her husband’s last wishes, and, after a matter of moments, the images of Adari, Tau, Ben, and Vestara appeared, standing right next to him, and the despair coming from all was evident to even those who did not know the majority of the people that were in this projection.

 

Edaan then said, _”I am so sorry that I’m dying, but you must listen very closely, as I don’t have much time until I become One with the Force, and what I’m about to say is crucial to the galaxy’s survival. The galaxy must be vigilant, for the Sith will return one last time, and they will threaten everything that we hold dear. You must beware the one-eyed Sith, as he will decide whether the galaxy tips into Light or Darkness. Lastly, you must keep the Skywalker and Solo families alive, as they will be the shatterpoints for bringing a lasting peace to the galaxy. Tell the leaders of the Shadow Alliance of this, as they must be ready for when the final war comes. Do you understand?”_

_“_ _Yes, Edaan.”_ Vestara tearfully said to the person who saved her from the Dark Side.

_“_ _Vestara, you and Ben need to promise me something.”_ Edaan said as he beagn to cough violently, which alarmed everyone. Soon enough, he stopped coughing, and he said, _“_ _You two need to promise me that you will be there for each other throughout the good times and the bad, and to help each other if one of you stumbles in your walk with the Light. Promise me.”_

_“I promise you, Edaan.”_ Ben said as tears of his own fell off of his face, and he held onto his wounded lover very tightly as he prepared himself for his former apprentice’s death.

_“Good. I regret that I couldn’t see the wonderful family that you two will make together, and what great things that you will do for both the people of both Kesh and the galaxy.”_ Edaan solemnly said. He then turned to face Tau, and he said, _“Tau, I need you to promise me that you will follow the Will of the Force, as I can sense that you have a great destiny in store for you. I also need you to look after my friends, as they will need your help in order to survive whatever comes next. Also, please keep my holocron safe, as I bestow it onto you. Record into it my final words, and… add to the knowledge for future generations of Jedi to learn from. Finally, I need you to forge your own path, as you don’t need to live in my, or our ancestor’s shadow.”_

_“You have my word, brother.” Tau said as he struggled to maintain his collected demeanor._

Edaan finally turned to Adari, and he gently said, _“Adari. Oh, my love. My greatest regret is that I couldn’t get to form a family with you, or that we couldn’t make that house on Kesh like we wanted. But, I know that you will do great things for the rest of your life, and, one day, we will be reunited in the Force. I… I know that you will do what’s right.” Edaan said as he struggled to breathe, which tore at everyone’s hearts._

_“Edaan, please don’t leave me.” Adari begged to her husband, even as she felt the last vestiges of his strength leave his body._

_“I… know… that you all… will do… what’s… right….”_ Edaan whispered as his eyes shut for the final time, and he breathed his last, leaving four of his heartbroken loved ones alone with their grief. Then, something that no one had expected to occur happened: Edaan’s body began to dissipate, and, after a few moments, his body became merged with the Force, and all that remained was his armor and cybernetics.

 

“End transmission.” Tau said, seeing the sorrowful expressions on everyone’s faces, even the normally stoic A’Sharad Hett.

 

He then said, “Now do you understand why I revere Edaan so much? He was a light in the galaxy that could never be replaced, and shined brighter and stronger than anyone else in his time. He led the entire galaxy to a peace that I pray will last decades, if not centuries, and did it without once compromising his principles or beliefs. I can only try to live up to his example, and be the best person and leader that I can be in order to honor his memory.” 

 

Ahsoka, sensing that now was the time to reveal the truth to Tau, hesitatingly said, “Tau, there’s something that I need to tell you, and you’re going to likely hate me for it.”

 

“I couldn’t hate you no matter what you do, Ahsoka. And besides, what could you have done that was so bad, anyways?” Tau said in dismissal of his girlfriend’s concerns.

 

“How about trying to find and recruit Micah Aphra and his daughter, Chelli Lona Aphra, into the Shadow Alliance?” Ahsoka said, which made Akuu and Jarael’s blood run cold, while the smile from Tau’s face disappeared into a look of pure horror at hearing the name of one of his creators, as well as one of the chief architects of Edaan’s near transformation into a Sith Trooper due to Darth Krayt’s orders. Everyone else had looks of disbelief or astonishment at the sentence.

 

“ _What?_ ” Tau whispered, not willing to believe what he had just heard from his girlfriend’s mouth.

 

Deciding to plow forward, consequences be damned, as well as protect Jarael and Akuu, Ahsoka continued to speak, saying, “I asked Kal and a couple of his clan mates to help find Aphra in order to help heal the wounds of hate that are consuming her right now.”

 

“Actually, that’s not true, Tau. Akuu and I came up with the plan, Ahsoka was just eavesdropping when she joined our plan.” Jareal said, not willing to allow her friend to take the full force of Tau’s inevitable wrath.

 

Tau’s hands began to shake from the mixture of anger and fear in his heart, as he hated Chelli so much for what she did in his time, but fear at seeing her again, as well as what he could do to everyone present.

 

He then shakily said, “I need to think on this. Leave me alone for a while, okay?”

 

“Tau-” Ahsoka began, before being stopped by Jarael, who knew that Tau needed to work out this issue by himself, at least for now.

 

“Let him go. He needs time to sort this out on his own. We’ll be there for him when he’s ready to talk about it.” Jarael said to both Ahsoka and everyone present, who agreed at the plan and went to conduct their business through the ship until they reached Dantooine.

 

_Twenty Minutes Later_

_Twenty-Nine Hours and Thirty Minutes From Dantooine_

_In Tau’s Personal Cabin_

 

 _How could Ahsoka and the others even think of bringing in that pathetic excuse of a woman into the Shadow Alliance? Have they lost their minds?!?_ Tau raged in his mind as he meditated in his cabin, struggling to center himself after this series of revelations.

 

Despite all attempts to calm himself, he had too many mixed feelings in order to focus, and only punched his pillow multiple times in pure anger after giving up in his attempts to let go of the anger within his soul.

 

Just when he felt like weeping in despair, he heard his holocomm activate, and he figured that it was either Ahsoka or Kal in an attempt to bring him around to their way of thinking.

 

Fearing what he would say to either of them, but knowing with an even greater certainty that he needed to talk about this issue with someone, he activated the holocomm.

 

Who he saw in the image only shocked the young Jedi Knight even further, as he was staring at the small hologram of Gandalf the Grey, one of the five wizards, or Istari, that were sent to Arda in order to combat the growing evils of Sauron nearly two thousand years ago. During Tau’s time on Arda, Gandalf had helped Tau deal with his shame of bearing Sidious’s lineage, as well as being a clone of Edaan, and played a critical and inseparable role in stopping Sauron’s forces from conquering all of Middle-Earth, the sole continent on Arda.

 

“Gandalf?” Tau said, shocked at seeing the Maia contacting him in this dark hour when he should be helping prepare Arda’s defenses for the final war with Sauron and his forces. He then said, “Why are you contacting me now? Shouldn’t you be with the White Council and Master Billapa in building up our forces?”

 

“ _I am here to offer you counsel in your dark time, my friend. Viridian contacted me from Beacon, and told me of the pain that he felt coming from you. Tell me what burdens your soul, young man._ ” Gandalf gently said as he formed a small but gentle smile at his ally and friend.

 

After sighing in exasperation of Viridian once again butting his nose into a personal matter, Tau conceded, knowing that Gandalf only meant the best of intentions in his efforts to help the Jedi purge the darkness within his heart.

 

“All right, Gandalf. You remember the name Chelli Lona Aphra?” Tau asked.

 

Upon hearing that name, the wizard’s eyes shot up in surprise, and, after a moment of thinking in order to fully recall what Tau had told him, he said, “ _Wasn’t she one of Krayt’s best… how do you people call it… scientists, and helped create you, and tried to twist Edaan into the Sith Lord’s vanguard of darkness? And wasn’t she put to death for her evil deeds?_ ”

 

“Right on all counts, Gandalf” Tau acknowledged before he continued, saying, “Moreover, Ahsoka Tano, a former Jedi who’s also my girlfriend, as well as Akuu, Jarael, and a few of our Mandalorian allies decided to find and recruit her and her father into the Shadow Alliance, even after all that she had done in my time. I know that she hasn’t done all of those things yet, but I still carry so much anger and hatred for her, as the foundations for what she became in my time are already inside of her, I just know it.” Tau said as a little pain and venom entered into his voice.

 

Gandalf took everything that Tau said in stride, and said, “ _Tau, do you remember how Viridian told you of how he killed Keen out of mercy, and not for revenge?_ ” After Tau nodded his head in confirmation, the Maia continued, saying, “ _You are at the same crossroad right now. Yes, Chelli did do terrible things in your time, but this is a different time. And, Iluvatar brought you back in time in order to correct the mistakes of the few, did he not?_ ”

 

“Yes, but it’s harder than it seems, Gandalf. She caused me and my family so much pain, and I’m afraid that, if I let her live, she’ll do it again, or perhaps even worse sins.” Tau said, recalling what Iluvatar said to him when he brought him back in time.

 

Gandalf nodded in sympathy, and said, “ _I understand how you feel, Tau. There have been many instances that I have wondered if the fight for light was truly worth it, and if certain people could be saved from their own darkness. Nevertheless, then I saw how the people of Arda have continued to strive for the good in each other, and my resolve was renewed each time. My hope only increased when we all saw the goodness inside all of you during Sauron’s alliance with the Yuuzhan Vong._ ”

 

He then asked Tau, “ _Do you remember why Iluvatar granted his children free will?_ ” When Tau nodded his head in confirmation, Gandalf continued, saying, “ _He wanted them to come to him of their own choice, and not force them to do anything, for it would have made him a tyrant, which is what Morgoth eventually became before his imprisonment. Well, Chelli might have made the wrong choice in your time, but now she has a second chance at life, and you and the others can save her from her own despair and loathing._ ”

 

“But how do I get past the anger and hate that I have for her, Gandalf? How do I live with myself if she goes down an even worse path, and I start her down it?” Tau said, seeing the truth in Gandalf’s words, but fearing the potential outcome of the choices that he might make.

 

“ _You overcome it just like Viridian, and all the others before and after him did, Tau: By taking it one step at a time. And, you are not responsible for Chelli’s fate_. We _choose our own fate, for good or ill. That is the beauty and curse of all living beings._ ” Gandalf said, looking over his shoulder before he said, “ _I have to go, Tau. We need to decide who is going to attend this summit of yours on Lah’mu in thirty-four days. Remember, Tau: Trust your friends and the girl that you love, trust in Iluvatar, but, most importantly, trust yourself. Good luck, my friend._ ”

 

After Tau nodded his head in gratitude at the Maia’s wise counsel, he deactivated his holocomm, and took a deep breath as he wiped away the tears that had fallen from his face.

 

He then walked out of his cabin, and found Ahsoka waiting for him outside the door, sitting beside it. As she got up, she quickly said, “Tau!!! Are you all right? I’m so sorry, I should have never kept it from you. I just-” Ahsoka found herself cut off as Tau grabbed her, and pulled her into a passionate kiss, one that the Togruta quickly reciprocated.

 

After a minute of kissing, the couple separated, and Tau gently said, “No, Ahsoka, I should be the one to apologize to you, and everyone else on the ship. You were seeing the bigger picture, while I was wrapped up in my fears of what happened in my time, and what might happen now. I only hope that I didn’t hurt anyone by acting like a child.”

 

He then turned to see Butch joyfully pouncing on him, and, as Ahsoka laughed at the hilarity of the Tuk’ata’s licking of his master, Tau said, “Y-yeah, boy. I missed you too. P-Please get off of me, I need to talk to the others.”

 

Butch got off Tau, and he petted his head in appreciation of his friend’s loyalty and concern for him. He then went to find Jarael and Akuu, who were in the ship’s cockpit in order to talk about their perceived failure.

 

Seeing their leader, they looked at each other in nervousness, and, before they could say anything, Tau wrapped them in a big hug, immensely confusing the two of them with this forgiving gesture.

 

Tau then released them from his grip, and said, “I’m sorry for how I reacted, guys. You were only doing what you believed to be right, and I can find no fault in you for that. I still have much anger in me, but, for the sake of myself and the galaxy, I will try to accept the Aphras into our ranks.”

 

To say that the two longtime friends of Tau were astonished of this turn of beliefs on their leader’s part was a colossal understatement, and they could only stare at him as if he had turned into another species.

 

Tau then raised an eyebrow and said, “What? Gandalf contacted me and gave me some much-needed counsel. I should have known that Viridian would have told him about my struggle. He always did like to meddle in other people’s business.”

 

Before the Mandalorian and medic could speak, Tau continued, saying in a nonchalant tone, “Well, I’d better get some lightsaber practice in, as we still have about twenty-nine hours before we reach Dantooine, and I do not want my skills to get rusty.”

 

As Tau headed to the main hall in order to tell everyone that he was okay, Jareal and Akuu looked to Ahsoka for clarity on what had just transpired, she simply shrugged her shoulders and said, “Don’t look at me. I don’t have a clue on what happened in his cabin. Whatever he and Gandalf talked about is between the two of them.”

 

She then went to follow Tau, and the two other warriors went with her, while Akuu muttered under his breath, “Sometimes, I just don’t understand you Force users.”

 

_Thirty Hours Later_

_Thirty-Three Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah’mu_

_On Dantooine_

_Within the Whiplash Base_

“I never thought that I’d ever come here.” Ahsoka said in wonder as she walked through the Jedi Enclave from the Jedi Civil War, which was repurposed into the makeshift headquarters of the formerly Coruscant based resistance movement called Whiplash.

 

She could still sense the echoes of the Jedi that came before her on this world, and she remembered her time among the Jedi with a sense of peace that she did not know that she still possessed.

 

Kal interrupted her train of thought by gruffly saying, “Yeah, well, neither did I, Tano. I never thought that I’d enter one of the Order’s stuffy temples in my lifetime. Well, at least it’s been made into a more practical use than an academy for sanctimonious Jedi like Vrook Lamar and Belaya.”

 

Tano could only roll her eyes at the Mandalorian Colonel’s half-hearted attempts to get a rise out of her, and prepared to fire back with a snarky remark. Before she could, however, their host, Magash Drashi, a Dathomiri Jedi Padawan, who was formerly a member of the Singing Mountain Clan of the Witches of Dathomir, interrupted, saying, “At least the planet has a whole ecosystem, unlike Serrocco, which the Mandalorian Neo Crusaders bombarded with nuclear warheads nearly four thousand years ago.”

 

Kal nodded his head in acknowledgement of the point, and then jokingly said, “Impressive. I guess that Pavan has been doing a decent job of teaching you about ancient history.”

 

“Very funny, Kal.” Tau sarcastically said as he sensed that two presences that were strong in the Force were very near, and prepared to meet Jax Pavan and true leader of Whiplash, the Cerean Thi Xon Yimmon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends an emotional chapter of my story. What did you guys think, as I value your input very much? Did you like the flashbacks from my final Jedi Odyssey story? What did you think of the inclusion of Gandalf in the story, was it done well enough, or could it have been better? If you have any questions or suggestions to make, feel free to include them in a review or email. Anyway, how are you all doing on February 27, 2018, which is the day before my birthday? I’m doing well, and I’m both excited and sad for the last episodes of Star Wars Rebels for reasons that I’m sure that you can figure out. I also have to go back to school in about an hour, as I have one more class for the day. Well, I’d better get going, as I have a lot to do, and so little time to do it in. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	29. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, my friends. How are you doing on the day of February 28, 2018? I’m very excited, as today is my 23rd birthday, and I’m going to enjoy today very much. I already got two masterpieces of movies from Target, Darkest Hour and Only the Brave, and I can’t wait to see them again with my family. I tell you, those two movies, along with 12 Strong, are primes examples of what movies should be like, as they show us what the best of humanity could be like from all corners of the globe, regardless of borders, culture, and religion. So, what did you do today? Anyway, when we last left our heroes, Tau had begun to come to terms with his grief and hatred at the prospect of seeing a young Chelli Lona Aphra, and arrived at Dantooine in order to meet with Clan Skirata and Whiplash in order to continue building up their forces. By the way, just so you guys know, I won’t make Aphra homosexual, because I find it to be… rather unnecessary in making a good story, not just because of my personal beliefs, but because it causes needless controversy in a story. It divides the Star Wars fan base even further in so many ways, and risks offending people that are religious. Well, I guess that that’s enough rambling on my part. Wish me luck on writing the next chapter, because I’m largely going to make it up as I go. Let’s hope that I can keep everyone in character, because there are a lot of characters in my story. 
> 
> (6:49 P.M. Addendum.) Hey, guys. Just wanted to let you know that Iron117Prime’s Avatar/TMNT crossover, “Worlds Collide”, has been updated less than two hours ago, and boy, it’s a big one. I highly encourage each of you to check it out, as you will not be disappointed in the slightest. Well, back to writing.

_Within the Jedi Enclave’s Repurposed Council Chamber_

 

Jax Pavan could sense the impending arrival of his apprentice, and the group that comprised much of the Shadow Alliance’s High Command, and he could sense the presences of several familiar Force-sensitives, including Rahm Kota, Ahsoka Tano, Bardan Jusik, and A’Sharad Hett. Pavan also sensed a Force signature that reminded Jax of Anakin Skywalker before he became Darth Vader, and he could only assume that this presence belonged to Tau Palpatine, the purported great-great-grandson of Emperor Palpatine who had been sent from the future by a Celestial in order to save the galaxy from the apocalypse.

 

He then turned to the first of his two comrades and friends from his post-Order Sixty-Six days, the Sullustian Den Dhur, a former correspondent from the HoloNet service known as the _Galactic Wave_ who left the service after his negative report on the cold-blooded murdering mercenary Phow Ji during the Clone War battles on Drongar. He did this in order to help the second friend of Jax that the latter turned to face, the Human Replica Droid I-5YQ. He was a comrade of the late con artist Lon Pavan, the father of Jax, had gone through many adventures and battles through just before the Invasion of Naboo to the present, and had him end up in the body of a Human Replica Droid.

 

The two gave off feelings of standing behind their friend, which relieved Jax a great deal. The Jedi Knight then heard the voice of the leader of Whiplash, Thi Xon Yimmon, say, “Jax, they’re here.”

 

The Cerean then pressed a button on the keypad, and the door opened up, revealing the crew of the _Second Chance_ , minus Ventis, who stayed behind in order to carry out more repairs on the YT-1300, as well as his Padawan, Magash, along with Kal and Jaing Skirata, and Bardan Jusik, slowly enter the command center.

 

Once the twelve guests entered the former council chambers of the enclave, Thi graciously said to Tau, Kal, and their allies, “It’s an honor to meet each and every one of you. I thank you for your efforts in saving eight hundred prisoners of Agon Nine. Many of them were honorable men and women who did not deserve such a fate, and, as we speak, our best doctors are caring for them.”

 

“We couldn’t leave them to that fate, Sir. But, Kal, Mij, Walon, and General Kota came up with the plan, so you should be thanking them.” Tau modestly said, not wanting to take credit for his friend’s deeds.

 

“True.” Thi acknowledged with a nod of his head before he said, “But, you gave them the knowledge and means to carry out this rescue mission, so you deserve acknowledgment for your part in the mission.”

 

He then turned to face Tau’s crew, and said, “You have a bold but humble leader. He is what the Emperor should have been like.”

 

“Don’t tell him that. He might let it go to his head.” Nagme said in an attempt to crack a joke, only for Tau to glare at her with daggers for eyes, which shut her right up.

 

Tau then smiled as he chuckled at the Yuuzhan Vong’s gullibility, “You have a lot to learn about my humor, my friend.”

 

Jax then took the chance to speak, saying to Tau, “So, you’re the supposed future descendant of Sidious, and sent by a Celestial, no less.” He then walked up to face Tau, and took his hand in his own in order to shake it vigorously.

 

Once the handshake was finished, Jax turned to face everyone, said, “It’s good to see so many honorable individuals in these dark times. We heard that you and your allies have already made a few strikes against the Empire, and have taken out or gained many of its best henchmen. It’s a miracle to know that we’re not the only ones out there that are willing to fight for what’s right.” 

 

“Well, by the time that my plans are done, we’re going to have the entire galaxy fighting against more than the Sith.” Tau said in both anticipation of overthrowing his vile ancestor, and fear for the massive loss of life that he knew would come from the upcoming wars.

 

“We know, Tau Palpatine. Colonel Skirata and General Kota filled us in on the situation while you carried out your own recruitment efforts. We know what the stakes are.” I-Five said, making Tau turn to face the droid, not knowing just who the supposed human was.

 

“Forgive me for asking, but I didn’t catch your name, Mr…?” Tau said, confused as to why this mysterious man was appearing with Thi, Jax, and Den.

 

“Ah, of course! My apologies, young Jedi.” I-Five embarrassingly said before he continued, saying, “My designation is I-5YQ, but my friends call me I-Five.”

 

Tau’s jaw fell agape as he sputtered out incoherent words, and Arden asked in his place, “You’re a droid? But, you look just like a human. I can even feel your presence in the Force, and droids aren’t even supposed to have one of those, as they’re not living beings.”

 

“Neither are the Shards, Arden, yet several of them became the Iron Knights under Master Aquinos’s tutelage before they, along with the poor man himself, were excommunicated from the old Jedi Order after the Arkanian Revolution.” Rahm said as he remembered another of this time’s Jedi Order’s sins of arrogance, and Tau began to regain control of his motor functions, stopping his incoherent speaking.

 

Once Tau fully calmed himself, he said, “Clearly, many things happened after Sir Yimmon’s capture was captured by Vader, and subsequent rescue by Jax, his remaining friends, and the Antarian Ranger who was named… what was her name again?” He then took a moment to remember the woman’s name, and then snapped his fingers as the name came to his memory’s repository, and said, “Ah! Sacha Swiftbird! That was her name. How are she and the rest of the Antarian Rangers doing on Toprawa, Jax?”

 

“Quite well. They’ve been supplying us with covert supply runs, and helping us move important people out of the Empire’s reach so that they can help build the larger rebellion. Though, with what Colonel Skirata and the others have told us, we may need to drastically alter our plans to fit your needs.” Jax said with a hint of caution in his voice as he spoke, as he was not fond of throwing everyone that he held dear into another galactic war, especially one where there would be only one chance for victory.

 

“Good, good. We’ll need to move many of them from Toprawa in order to keep their ways alive across the galaxy.” Tau said, surprising most of the people in the room with what they perceived as a reckless and spontaneous move.

 

This so-called plan made the sole Sullustan in the room irate, and Den sarcastically said, “Well, at least we now know that you’ve lost your mind, Jedi Palpatine. Why would we move the bulk of our precious few Antarian Rangers from one of their few safe havens in the Sith-dominated galaxy?!?”

 

“Because, in the event that they are discovered, we need to ensure that their order survives its intended purge.” Tau said, before he continued, passionately saying to everyone present before anyone could counter him, “Fifteen years from now, long before my time, the Empire bombarded Toprawa, for the crucial role for destroying a vital Imperial battle station, into a state of poverty and destitution without any form of modern technology for over a decade. I will not have another war crime of that, of any magnitude, happen if we cannot help it!” 

 

I-Five suddenly said, “It makes sense to me. We need agents to gather intelligence, conduct raids, gain recruits, and so on. But, I will only offer my support this plan if we make sure that any Rangers that leave Toprawa be properly protected against any probe, be it through technology, or the Force.”

 

“We can take care of that, I-Five. Bardan and I can mind wipe their memories of their base on Toprawa, and protect both them and the planet.” Tau said, grateful that at least one person would stand by him in his plan.

 

“Forgive me, Tau, but you’re going to do a memory wipe on the chosen Rangers? That’s rather risky, isn’t it?” Thi skeptically said, worried for the welfare of his allies.

 

“Don’t worry about that, Yimmon. Bardan has experience in altering the memories of people, and with Tau and the others backing him, it shouldn’t be a problem for them.” Kal said, trusting in his adopted son’s capabilities, and seeing the merits in Tau’s plan as well.

 

After turning to see that Jax nodded in support of the plan, while Den remained heavily skeptical of the proposal, Thi reluctantly said, “Very well. I will consult the Antarian Rangers, and we will see who would be best suited for off-world work. But, the only way that I will agree to this is if Jax and I can monitor the procedure, as we do not want anything to go wrong with our comrades’ minds.”

 

“Deal.” Tau said, not willing to look a gift-horse in the mouth, and took the support that he was given.

 

With that said, Thi said, “Where is your apprentice, Tau? I would have thought that you would like Ventis to be here so that he could learn about our base’s workings?”

 

“You know about Ventis?” Tau cautiously said, wondering just what Kal told him about his pupil, and then asked, “If I may ask, how much do you know about him?”

 

“Enough to know that, like many people, he was a victim of the Sith like so many others, including my old friend Lorn Pavan, and nearly lost everything as a result. If I could, I’d kill those two scum-sucking Sith Lords where they stood. Too bad that they’re already dead.” I-Five cryptically said, before he quickly added, “Don’t worry, Tau, we know the value of discretion, and will not tell anyone about Ventis’s tragic past.” 

 

“Good. None of us want to let Ventis’s past out before he’s ready.” Tau said in gratitude, before he turned to face Thi, and grimly said, “We need to prepare to depart the base within a week, as it’s only a matter of time before Vader and his master find us since we have so many Jedi and fugitives in one place. Not to mention the Sith shrine that’s beneath Coruscant’s Jedi Temple.” 

 

“Wait, wait, wait, back up, Tau. What do you mean by a ‘Sith shrine’ underneath the Jedi Temple?” Rahm said, as everyone but Tau, Akuu, and Jarael did not know what the young Palpatine was talking about.

 

Tau then looked sheepish, as he forgot to tell anyone about the Great Hyperspace War-era SIth Shrine that was beneath the Jedi Temple, and clouded the Jedi’s vision over the last five thousand years. Akuu then said, “We forgot to tell you about the Sith shrine. We were told about it by Darth Krayt during our captivity by his forces, and, to put it lightly, what we learned was quite disturbing.”

 

“Well, stop keeping us in suspense, guys. Tell us about what my future self told you.” A’Sharad said, not liking to be remembered of his original future self.

 

“Well, to summarize it up, the Sith Empire under Naga Sadow placed a Sith shrine underneath a Force nexus on Coruscant during his forces’ invasion of the planet. The Jedi destroyed a great deal of it after the war, and then built their temple over it in order to cap its remaining power and influence.” Tau said, before being interrupted by Celeste.

 

“Hold on, you said ‘a great deal of it’. What did you mean by…” she said as the horrific realization hit her full force, and she said in denial, “No. No, you can’t mean that some of the shrine survived the Jedi’s purge.”

 

“I’m afraid so, Celeste. Its survival clouded the Jedi’s vision over the millennia, and blinded them to the machinations of both the Sith of Vitiate’s Sith Empire from the Mandalorian Wars to the Great Galactic War of thirty-six hundred years later, as well as the Darth Bane’s Sith Order about a thousand years ago. This allowed both Orders to gain massive victories against the Jedi, and led to Sidious’s Empire rising in the Old Republic’s place. It even blinded my Order’s sight on a few occasions.” Tau solemnly said, remembering how Akuu and Jarael told him of Krayt’s gloating during their captivity of them, and how the Shadow Alliance’s comprised governments of his time, before he was sent back in time, began working on examining and destroying the shrine in order for the Jedi to fully return to Coruscant.

 

Everyone from this timeline, aside from Ahsoka, was aghast of this revelation, as it revealed the biggest failure of the Jedi Order for failing to completely eradicating the Sith’s legacy, and for not seeing what was literally lying right beneath them, which all but ensured the Order’s destruction through treachery and deceit.

 

The Togruta looked as if she were about to say something, but Tau telepathically spoke to her through their growing Force-bond, and said, “ _No, Ahsoka. It would do you no good to reveal that you helped Yoda, Anakin, and Obi-Wan escape the shrine and temporarily stop Sidious from entering it. Let me handle this one._ ”

 

Celeste then said, “You mean to tell me that, for all of the Jedi’s deeds, for all of our power, we failed to see what was right below us?!? How could we have been so arrogant and blind?!?” She especially felt a sense of growing anger at the Jedi Covenant, and herself, for failing to find one of the darkest secrets of the ancient Sith Empire that played a key role in its destruction.

 

“It wasn’t your fault, Celeste.” Tau consolingly said before he turned to face every Jedi, both current and former, and said, “It was none of your faults. Blame the Sith for putting the shrine in the underground in the first place, and the leaders of the Jedi for not looking deeper into the matter. They each share their shame of the blame for what transpired, and they each paid their debt in full. What matters now is that we know of the threat, and can prepare for Sidious trying to use the shrine for his own usage in trying to amplify his powers and foresight.”

 

“Regardless of who’s fault it might have been, Tau is correct in wanting to plan for the probability of Sidious using this Sith shrine to learn of our plans. We need to prepare to move the base’s personnel to our secondary facility on Toola within one week.” Thi said in an effort to diffuse the tension that was simmering in the room.

 

“Agreed. We also need to plan for the likelihood that Sidious and Vader will learn of our summit, and prepare for a potential invasion of Lah’mu when our summit is underway.” Ahsoka said, grateful that the topic was moving away into a matter that did not increase the former Jedi Padawan’s guilt in agreeing to keep the Jedi Council’s secret from anyone that could help them. 

 

“And we need to step up our recruitment efforts if the Empire will invade Lah’mu when we’re all assembled in one place.” Akuu said, following the thread that Ahsoka and Thi created.

 

“How many people do you have for your Shadow Alliance?” Jax said in order to ascertain their chances of winning the coming wars.

 

“Not enough.” Tau gruffly said, which no one did not expect to hear, given the immense predicament that faced everyone. He then said, “We have several rebel cells, a few Imperial senators, most of the Mandalorians under Fenn Shysa’s command, several Imperials in high-ranking positions within the Empire in order to feed us tactical and strategic intelligence, several Jedi and their friends, including several Shards from the Unknown Regions, and a few worlds in the Unknown Regions that are allied with our cause. We also have the schematics for much more lethal ships and equipment form my time, which will begin to be produced once we find a shipyard powerful enough to do so. But we need _more_. More people, more Jedi, more ships, more everything. And even then, I’m not sure if it will be enough.”

 

“Well, we have to trust in Iluvatar that we can win this fight. That’s all that we can do, and that’s what we’re going to have to keep doing if we’re going to win this fight for good.” Ahsoka said, before, surprising the Mandalorians and members of Whiplash with her declared faith in the ancient Celestial.

 

Tau then continued to speak, saying with increased passion, “We know where many surviving Jedi and Clone Troopers that resisted Order Sixty-Six are hiding, and that’s just the start. We’re going to bring in militias, honorable crime lords, species that are suffering under Sidious rule, and everyone with an axe to grind against the Sith. We’re going to take my ancestor down from the inside-out, and expunge his, and all of our enemies’ legacies, from the galaxy, and all time itself.”

 

“Well, at least Tau is devoted to the cause.” I-Five said in observation of Tau’s fervor for his self-appointed mission.

 

_Three Days Later_

_Thirty Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah’mu_

_On Coruscant/Imperial Center_

_Within the Jedi Temple’s Catacombs_

“My apprentice, it is time to learn the full scope of our order’s legacy.” Sidious said to Vader as the two Sith Lords entered a turbolift that descended deeper than the Temple’s secret entrances that began in the Works.

 

As the turbolift went deeper and deeper within Coruscant’s crust, Vader said, “I feel a great nexus of Dark Side energy the deeper we go underground. Where are we going, Master?”

 

“To the biggest failure of the Jedi Order, Lord Vader. One that Masters Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, prevented me from entering during the final months of the Clone War.” Sidious said, which immediately clicked within Vader’s memories, and Sidious nodded in approval at his apprentice’s deductive reasoning.

 

He then began to explain to his apprentice the purpose of the shrine, and said, “After we destroyed the Jedi Order, I had my droids and aides excavate Naga Sadow’s shrine, and restore it to its former glory. It is far more than a repository for Sith secrets. It holds the key to the next phase of the Grand Plan.”

 

“You mean that it can increase your powers to levels that rival that of Vitiate, my master?” Vader said, wondering just how long his master had this plan in mind, and how long he would need Vader until he would be considered expandable, and disposed of for someone stronger than the Sith apprentice.

 

“No, Lord Vader. My plans are much more complex than brute strength alone.” Sidious disappointingly said before he continued, saying, “This shrine was a place where Sith Sorcerers could peer into the very Force itself, and try to shape it to their own will. The ancient Sith could only apply it in limited effect through seeing the future, which did not prevent the Sith Empire’s destruction from both within and without.  As for the Rule of Two, its usage is all but limitless since we are above such a massive locus of Force power from other cultures that applied it in their lives. And to think that we have yet to tap into its full power. This is why I have brought you here, Lord Vader, to try and tap into the shrine’s full power, and alter the galaxy to fall into eternal darkness.”

 

“How can the two of us succeed where an entire empire of Sith Lords failed to do so on the birthplace of the Sith Order?” Vader skeptically said, which only made Sidious chuckle at his pupil’s lack of faith, which confused the cyborg.

 

“They did not control the entire galaxy, my apprentice. Now, concentrate on the Dark Side of the Force. Let the anger, wrath, and pain that fuels you now fuel the shrine, and apply its full power to the galaxy.” Sidious commanded to his learner, and the two Sith Lords began to draw on every dark emotion that fueled their being, and activated the shrine’s capabilities.

 

It gave them a glimpse of the future, and they saw many visions of what might come: They saw the Yuuzhan Vong invading the galaxy, along with many savage Yuuzhan Vong-like creatues, Columi-shaped aliens, and evils that could only be described as shadows of pure evil that surpassed even Valkorion in power and malice.

 

The next vision showed an image of bright light, and followed with an image of a thirty year-old Tau Palpatine, Viridian Mallory, Daniel Valo, Vega Ryal, and Ahsoka Tano leading a new Jedi Order, along with armies and navies of various species and organizations, against the forces of darkness, including the Sith.

 

One more vision appeared, and showed the Shadow Alliance on a farm world that the shrine whispered as “Lah’mu”, where they convened in order to discuss their plans of an as of yet unknown nature. They saw the image of the leading galactic authority on crystallography: Galen Walton Erso, an unwitting dupe in the construction of the Death Star before he and his family disappeared with the help of Partisan founder, Saw Gerrera.

 

With the visions done, Sidious and Vader fell onto the ground from the force of the vision, and they both slowly came to the realization that Tau Palpatine, with his knowledge of the future, would be the shatterpoint for whether or not the Sith and their Empire would survive the coming trials.

 

They also each realized that Tau would make an excellent Sith Apprentice for either Sith Lord, and they coveted the young man for their own sinister uses.

 

Keeping his final thoughts hidden from Vader, Sidious said to him, “Summon the Imperial Ruling Council, along with Director Isard, Grand Moffs Trachta and Tarkin, Director Krennic, Admirals Shonn Volta, Nial Declann, Nils Tennant,Terrinald Screed, Colonel Yularen and Captain Thrawn at the first light of dawn tomorrow. We have a plan to make if we’re going to capture the Shadow Alliance’s entire leadership, as well as our errant scientist, in one fell stroke in thirty-two days.”

 

Filled with relief that his simultaneous plan for taking Tau as his own apprentice was not yet discovered, Vader loyally said, “It will be done at once, my master.”  The two Sith Lords then reentered the turbolift in order to prepare for the next Imperial High Command meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends the latest chapter of my story. What did you guys think? Did you enjoy my blend of the Expanded Universe and New Canon with the inclusion of Whiplash and the Sith shrine, respectively, and the Sith learning of the Shadow Alliance summit? Now, before you get on my case, if that’s how the saying goes, since I said that Sidious would ambush the Shadow Alliance in thirty-two days when the summit begins in thirty days, let me explain. Sidious would wait two days in order for all of the Shadow Alliance’s leaders to arrive. And, Sidious figured that Tau Palpatine is, if not one of, the biggest threat to his Empire, as he is one of the founders of the Shadow Alliance, and is the one Jedi who is from the future, and knows the full scope of his ancestor’s schemes. Well, the next chapter will have our heroes and villains plan their next move, and they will prepare for the coming Siege of Lah’mu. Oh, before I forget, I will likely not be able to write the next chapter as quickly as I would like, as I have two essays to write for class in a few days, which will require a good deal of my attention. So, I wish you a good evening on March 2, 2018. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	30. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, all my friends and fans. How are you doing on the night of March 3, 2018? I’m doing all right, as I did some homework for both of my classes, worked at my movie theater for about five hours, and had dinner with my father, so it was a pretty good day. I got a fat paycheck as well, since I worked a lot of hours over the last couple of weeks. Well, now I have time to write, and I plan to use it well for a couple of hours before I have to go to bed. So, when we last left out heroes and villains, plans were coming together, and the Siege of Lahm’u would begin in thirty-two days. I can’t wait to show you guys the first full-scale battle between the full might of the Shadow Alliance and Galactic Empire, it will be a battle of epic proportions. Oh, before I forget, I can’t wait for the final three episodes of Star Wars Rebels, as I have so many questions that need to be answered. Well, I’d better get to writing. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, my friends.

_0600 Hours_

_Twelve Hours Later_

_Twenty-Nine Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah’mu_

_Within the Jedi Temple’s War Room_

Shonn Volta, one of the final survivors of the Ghentis coup that occurred four years previously, as well as protégé of Grand Moff Trachta, the leader of all forces in Imperial Center Oversector, felt all of the presences within the reconstructed Jedi Temple’s war room. With her connection to the Force, she felt the excitement and fear within each member of the Imperial Ruling Council, as they had suffered a loss of their own in the form of Janus Greejatus, who was killed in failing to defend the prison world of Agon Nine from an incursion from this new enemy of the Empire, the mysterious Shadow Alliance. She also felt the desire for revenge burn brightly in Grand Moff Tarkin, who hungered for the opportunity to eliminate the Jedi that took away his prized flagship, the _Executrix_ , which humiliated him in the eyes of many within the Imperial Court. The woman then felt the fear of Orson Krennic, the current Director of the Advanced Weapons Research division of the Imperial Military, who failed to prevent the extraction of Galen Erso from his research into the Death Star battle station. She then felt the keen analytical eye from her mentor, along with Colonel Yularen and Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo, who were conversing with each other as they awaited the arrival of Darth Vader and the Emperor himself.

 

Her cybernetic heart began to race as she saw the Royal Guards enter the war room, and the room immediately quieted down, with everyone preparing for their leader’ arrival. One by one, the eight Royal Guards entered the room, and then, Darth Vader and 11-4D, who each took a side on the Emperor’s throne, who slowly entered the room from his vantage point.

 

She took a moment to glance at Trachta, who, due to his cybernetic eyes, could not share the glance. Fortunately for her, though, he subtly nodded in understanding at not being able to overcome the awe of being in the same room as the man who ended the Clone War, and avenged her family’s deaths at the hands of the Old Republic and its lapdogs, the Jedi Order.

 

Once the Emperor sat in his throne room, he said, “My fellow Imperials, we have a chance to end the Shadow Alliance before they can inflict any more harm upon our galaxy.”

 

He then used his throne to activate the room’s holoprojector, and the image of the world of Lah’mu appeared. He then continued to speak, saying, “Through my personal contacts, we have discovered that the Shadow Alliance will be hosting a summit on the Outer Rim world of Lah’mu in thirty-one days. They will have the summit on Galen Walton Erso’s moisture farm there, so we have the chance to kill two birds with one stone.”

 

With that said, Shonn sensed the excitement gushing off of Orson in waves, and resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the Director’s immaturity.

 

She listened intently as the Emperor continued to speak, saying, “In order to ensure that the Shadow Alliance’s full leadership, along with any potential subversives, is here, we will wait for the summit to commence, and attack on its third day. Lord Vader, Grand Inquisitor Halmere, and Grand Moffs Trachta and Tarkin will lead a joint command of the mission. I will also be accompanying them in order to offer the Shadow Alliance one chance to surrender.”

 

“Begging your pardon, my liege, but, if the Shadow Alliance’s full might will be on Lah’mu in less than one month, how will we manage to assemble a powerful enough armada to crush this rebellion in one fell stroke without tipping off our enemies to our plans? And, is it wise for you to be so close to a war zone with Jedi in it after the failed attempt on your life?” Armand Isard asked, which made Shonn wonder, despite her own doubts on the speed of mobilization of the Imperial Navy, if the Director of Imperial Intelligence had regained enough favor with the Emperor in order to ask about the battle plans of such a crucial operation in such a blatant manner after the discovery that someone within his staff, or possibly himself, had leaked critical information to Clan Skirata at Agon Nine.

 

“I have given the matter a great deal of thought, Director Isard, and the solution to each problem is simple and obvious, my friend. Each of the twenty Grand Moffs will need to send a small portion of their fleets to Khar Shian, where they will await our attack on Lah’mu. I will stay safe onboard the _Empire’s Vengeance_ , and oversee the battle firsthand.” Palpatine graciously said, which mollified the director.

 

He then turned his head to face Sate Pestage and Mas Amedda, and turned to the two trusted subordinates in order to say, “I will leave control of the Empire in your hands until I return from battle. I trust you two to manage the Empire in my absence.”

 

The Chagrian nodded his head, and loyally said, “Do not fear, my emperor. We will manage the Empire quite well while you lead the Empire into battle against the Jedi and their fellow traitors.”

 

“Excellent. Soon, we will send an example to the rest of the galaxy in order to ensure peace and prosperity will endure for eternity throughout the galaxy.” Palpatine forebodingly said, while Shonn felt a flicker of confliction within Yularen and Thrawn as their ruler said those words, which she made a note to speak to Trachta about later.

 

_Two Hours Later_

_Within the Imperial Royal Academy of Imperial Center_

_In Grand Moff Trachta’s Office_

“Well, that was quick and efficient, Shonn.” Trachta satisfyingly said as he clicked on a button on his keypad, activating the white noise generator within the Grand Moff’s office.

 

He then continued, saying, “If only the bulk of the Imperial Navy acted that way, then our emperor would have total control over the galaxy.”

 

“Agree, old friend.” Wullf said as he sat down to speak with his old comrade from the Clone War, with Thrawn standing beside Admiral Volta as the white noise generator clicked in indication of fully activating.

 

The ISB colonel then inquisitively said, “Is there a reason that you had to turn on that infernal machine? I would have thought that your personal office, let alone your main academy, would be safe from any prying eyes.”

 

“Are you two plotting treason against the Empire?” Shonn accusingly said to the two visitors, which neither man expected in the least regard.

 

Thrawn, thinking fast, said, “Our loyalty is to the Empire and our peoples, first and foremost, Admiral Volta.”

 

“That may be, but loyalty to the Empire can take many forms. Do you recall Headmaster Gentis, Wullf?” Trachta acknowledged before raising the stakes by referring to the previous headmaster of Royal Imperial Academy and his failed coup attempt against the Emperor.

 

“How can I not, Trachta? So many good men and women who died senselessly over one man’s tantrum against the system that saved the galaxy from anarchy.” Wullf responded in order to deter suspicion from his and Thrawn’s true loyalties.

 

“I may be a cyborg, Colonel, but I’m not an idiot. I know conflicted loyalties when I see it. You two disappeared from Imperial Center under the guise of bringing General Dodonna into the Imperial fold, and managed to succeed where no one else could. A clever ruse, which fooled even our Emperor. But, you did not need to bring Captain Thrawn with you on this mission, which was the first warning bell. The second one were the codes that mysteriously came to General Kota and the Mandalorians that liberated the two Clone Commandos of Ion Team from Agon Nine. That cost us Councilman Greejatus, Admiral Hackett, Commodore David Anderson, and Penal Colony Six.”

 

“And, what was the final supposed warning bell that convinced you of our lack of loyalty to our Emperor, Grand Moff Trachta?” Thrawn skeptically said while twitching millimeters from their current positon.

 

“My senses of you two being full of fear when Emperor Palpatine announced his plan to destroy the _Jedi_ and their Shadow Alliance, traitors.” Shonn said, practically spitting out venom out of her mouth as she said the name of the religious group that killed everyone that she loved during the Clone War, as well as Laurita Tohm after the Gentis Coup.

 

“One attack against the Empire is happenstance. Two instances are a coincidence. But three time? Three times is an assault against the Empire. And traitors will not be tolerated in any form.” Shonn continued as she pulled out a blaster and aimed it

 

After looking at Thrawn, who would not show any fear, even at death’s door, and coming to the realization that they were backed into a corner, Yularen sighed in defeat, and said, “We are no traitors, Admiral Volta. We simply chose to serve the Empire in the most rational way possible, by stopping Sidious from destroying the galaxy in his unquenchable lust for power, and leaving us vulnerable to threats greater than the Sith.” 

 

Trachta rose an eyebrow in interest, and motioned for his trusted pupil to lower her blaster, and curiously said, “You have my attention. What possible threats could be so terrible that require the death of our emperor and master?”

 

“The same threat the required me to be exiled from my people in order to prepare them from what is coming. The Yuuzhan Vong, to be more precise. And that is, as the people of the greater galaxy call it, the tip of the iceberg.” Thrawn gravely replied, which considerably intrigued Trachta.

 

“I was under the impression that the Jedi Knight from the future, Tau Palpatine, was allied with the Yuuzhan Vong in order to take control of the galaxy for their own anti-technological designs for the galaxy. You have information that is to the contrary?” The Grand Moff countered.

 

“Yes, but it will take a while to explain. We need your promise that neither of you will breathe a word of this to anyone else, as it could jeopardize the safety of the entire galaxy.” Yularen said in confirmation.

 

“That will depend on the nature of the information, as well as the validity of it.” Trachta replied, while Shonn had an expression that had both wrath and curiosity.

 

_Three Hours Later_

 

“Fascinating.” Trachta neutrally replied, while Shonn could not bear to believe what the two traitors to the Empire had just told the two of them: Essentially, Tau Palpatine was sent seventy-two years in time by Iluvatar, the first Celestial in all of existence, in order to counter the growing power of the lesser Celestial known as Sauron, along with the Yuuzhan Vong both under and outside of his command, the Nephilim, a planet full of Sith, a Celestial abomination, the Killiks, and the Knights of Opalka, the latter organization, who made it their life’s mission to destroy the Force in all forms and beings, no matter the cost.

 

It was too much to bear for the former Confederacy assassin, and she venomously said, “That’s a lie. A fairy tale that these Jedi are using to spread sedition throughout the Empire. They are agents of chaos and discord, and you two idiots have fallen for their con. Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you two traitors here and now.”

 

“Because we can get you an audience with Tau Palpatine, Admiral. He can validate your claims. And, we can get you into the Lah’mu summit in order to learn for yourself what the Jedi’s Shadow Alliance is all about.” Thrawn replied, which the cyborg human nodded to in acquiesce.

 

“Do it, and we’ll see what happens from there.” The Grand Moff noncommittedly said to the head of the Imperial Security Bureau.

 

“Consider it done.” Yularen said as he activated his personal holocomm, and keyed it into the Second Chance’s location, where, after a minute of waiting, the image of Tau Palpatine appeared, with Jedi General Rahm Kota and Sergeant Kal Skirata appeared.

 

“ _Colonel Yularen, this is a surprise, What do you-_ ” Tau began to politely say before he saw the forms of Trachta and Shonn staring at him with looks of curiosity and hatred, respectively.

 

The Mandalorian then firmly said, “ _What is the meaning of this? Are you double-crossing us?_ ”

 

“No, Sergeant. There has been a… complication. We’ve been discovered.” Yularen regretfully said, tugging at his collar as he did so.

 

Tau then sighed in exasperation, and he said, “ _Of course you have. Why can’t anything go our way for once in this crazy galaxy?_ ” He then turned to face the Grand Moff, and said, “ _What do you want, Trachta?_ ”

 

“Your allies here have told me a rather impressive tale of Celestials, time travel, and the threats that will soon besiege our galaxy. I merely wish to see if they are true or not, and decide the proper course of action from there.” Trachta calmly replied, not at all bothered by the young Jedi’s lack of respect for a current enemy.

 

Tau then calmed down, and coolly said, “ _They are indeed true. Grand Moff. If you desire proof beyond our word, I have files and reports that can validate my claims._ ”

 

“Please do so at once, Tau, as I look forward to seeing what reports you have on the Empire’s enemies.” Trachta graciously replied before he turned to see Shonn walk up to the hologram with a look of pure killing intent in her face.

 

Before Trachta could say anything to calm her down, Shonn hatefully said, “So, you are the one that would defy your ancestor’s vision for the galaxy, and restore the galaxy to the state of indecision that marked the entirety of the Old Republic and the Jedi?”

 

“ _Yes and no, Admiral… I’m sorry, but your name escapes me at the moment. I do know, however that you were a former Confederate Assassin that served as a Force-Sensitive in Dooku’s inner-circle, and a part of the efforts to massacre General Gentis and all of his followers, not to mention that you were close with the late Laurita Tohm. Please forgive me, as I have so many names and faces in my mind, it’s sometimes hard to connect each of them. Could you please tell me your name so that I can properly answer your question?_ ”

 

Surprised by the Jedi’s cordiality, Shonn replied, “It’s Admiral Shonn Volta, Jedi Palpatine. And, you were about to answer my question?”

 

“ _Ah yes!!! Admiral Volta. You have my sympathies for the loss of your family due to the Old Republic and the Jedi during the Clone War. I know what it’s like to lose family, not just in the form of my fellow Jedi._ ” Tau said with genuine remorse in his tone, which shocked Shonn, as she did not expect to hear sympathy from one of the most ardent anti-Jedi supporters in the Empire’s ranks.

 

“Oh, really? _You_ know what it’s like to lose actual family? Somehow, I don’t see how a _Jedi_ could possibly know what it’s like to know what it means to have a family outside of your precious Jedi Order.” Shonn rebutted.

 

At those words, Tau’s fists clenched together, and Rahm came to his defense, saying, “ _For your information, Volta, Tau and I lost family in both of our times due to terrible wars, and we know what it’s like to mourn the loss of loved ones. So, I think that all four of us, including Colonel Skirata, know what pain you’re undoubtedly going through._ ”

 

“ _Did you have to tell her my rank, Kota?_ ” Kal said in exasperation in his voice as the four Imperials shared looks of surprise at the Mandalorian’s promotion to such a powerful position.

 

“Anyway…” Trachta said, hoping to get the matter back on track, and continued by saying, “Can you provide us with the files on these matters, as we don’t have all day before we risk the Emperor finding out about this meeting?”

 

“ _Fine._ ” Tau reluctantly said before he motioned for an unseen individual to come forward, only for the person to be a droid of the R-series that seemed to be far more advanced from the current R7 prototypes that were still in development. “ _Arnine, do it._ ”

 

Before either Trachta or Shonn could question whether or not that astromech droid was a model above the R7 series, the images of battles going on within and above the world of Arda. Over the course of the next thirty minutes, they witnessed the end of the battle with the destruction of the Koros-Strohna Worldship, and the routing of the forces under Sauron’s command, which included tall humanoids that were the Yuuzhan Vong, and repulsive creatures that both loyal Imperials assumed to be the Orcs and their various brethren that existed. It showed the Confederate, Imperial, Republic, Carthean, Jedi, and Free Peoples of Arda defend the vital world of Arda from their enemies.

 

Once the transmission ended, Rahm gruffly said, “ _Is that proof enough for you, Trachta?_ ”

 

“It certainly proved the validity of the threat that Sauron and the Yuuzhan Vong are to the galaxy, yes. As for the other threats, I assume that you can provide proof of your claims of the remaining dangers.” Trachta tactfully said, even though he was all but convinced of the Jedi’s sincerity, and was forming a heavily treasonous plan in his mind on what to do with this information.

 

“I have historical reports on Abeloth, the Yuuzhan Vong, Killiks, and the other Sith groups that existed in my time. I can forward to them if you wish, after I edit them to avoid giving away too much information to a risky ally.” Tau said after rolling his eyes at Trachta’s calmness in discussing events that would get him killed if this was discovered.

 

“Feel free to edit them. But first, a question, Tau Palpatine. What is it that you want for the galaxy, that would make you risk everything to destroy what your ancestor is trying to build?” Trachta asked, ready to make his decision, but not after he heard Tau’s answer.

 

Realizing that Trachta would not take a simple answer, Tau deeply sighed, and said with growing passion and fervor, “ _What I want, Trachta, is a peaceful and stable galaxy, one that would be free from all evil, and one that everyone can follow their own path without fear of persecution. I want a strong galaxy that can stand up to evil in all of its forms, and vigilant against any evil. I want a united galaxy that, despite our differences in culture, species, and lifespans, we can stand together against the coming apocalypse. I want a galaxy that… that is bathed in the eternal light of Iluvatar, and not saturated in eternal darkness of any kind. And, I want to right the wrongs of the past, no matter who caused them, be it Jedi, Sith, criminal, Republic, Imperial, and work together for a better future._ ”

 

Once Tau calmed down from his speech, he said, “ _I know that the road that I’m on won’t be easy, and I’ll likely die before the job is done, but at least I’ll pave the way for the restoration of the light of old, and a true Galactic Alliance will be born out of the chaos that is consuming the galaxy._ ”

 

“So, that is your end, Tau. You’re merely the exact opposite of your ancestor, and desire peace and stability. Well, at least unlike the Jedi of old, you’re not bound by any government, and are willing to get your hands bloody in order to do so.” Trachta said as he looked at the young Jedi Knight with a great deal of respect, before he began to admit a hidden truth that he had kept to himself for the last two years. “I have begun to wonder if Sidious is not the one that can usher in an era of peace and stability to the Empire, and now believe that a different approach is better than simple fear and intimidation. But, let me be clear, I will not have the galaxy entirely run by Force-users of any kind, regardless of their religion.”

 

Tau simply chuckled at that, and said, “ _No, you wouldn’t, Trachta. You’re much to proud and ambitious to want that. That is why I am planning on having a separation of power between religion and the state, while individuals from the Jedi and our allies can hold power within the reformed Empire under a more… tolerant approach than my ancestor._ ” 

 

“I see. I believe that I can offer a compromise to our dilemma. I will send Admiral Volta to your summit in order to ‘infiltrate’ it, and hear what you have to say first hand. If I agree with your approach, then consider us tentative allies in the fight for a better future, as the threats that exist are too great to handle by two Sith alone.” Trachta said in with his trademark pragmatism. 

 

His pupil, however, was not enthusiastic in the slightest at this proposal, and vehemently said, “No. Absolutely not! I will not have anything to do with the Jedi, whether or not they are from this time, or the future.”

 

“Shonn, be reasonable. We might not even have to join the Shadow Alliance. If the meeting is not to our liking, then we expose Thrawn and Yularen to our current master, and reveal more intelligence about the Shadow Alliance. It’s a simple solution.” Trachta said in a scolding tone.

  
“I would have thought that you, of all people, would understand my hatred for the Jedi and their allies, and agree with me on this mad scheme of theirs. We cannot allow this meeting to go forward, especially if-” Shonn retorted before Trachta cut her off.

 

“The Emperor doesn’t care about your home world, Shonn. He is only using it as a means to an end, nothing more. Once he gets the minerals that are needed for his pet projects, he’ll sterilize the world, and blame it on criminals, or the Shadow Alliance, in order to get the support of the rest of the galaxy for his continued warmongering.” Trachta said, which left Volta speechless as tears fell down her face, and she began to realize just what kind of a galactic ruler that she was serving.

 

“ _Then we need to help get as many people as we can off of your home, before that happens. I know of a few worlds in the Unknown Regions that can hide them safely. We’ll need you at the summit if you’re going to convince them to lead a rescue mission there. If you won’t do it for us, then do it for your people._ ” Tau implored Volta, who understood that, this time, she was in a position to aid her people with more than false promises.

 

She reluctantly said in agreement, “Very well. We’ll follow Trachta’s plan, and I’ll attend the summit in order to see what I can do for my people. But, don’t think that this changes anything, because I still hate the Jedi and their Republic.”

 

Kal then sympathetically said, “ _Don’t worry, I’ve still got my fair share of reservations about the Jedi too. But, I got a feeling that Tau’s different from the others._ ”

 

With that said, the holonet transmission ended, and the two current members of the Shadow Alliance left to resume their duties, while Trachta and Shonn began to devise the plan that the Emperor would fall for in order for the two soon-to-be-reformers to learn what the Shadow Alliance was truly about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was an exciting chapter. I really loved writing Trachta and Shonn Volta, as they were featured heavily in Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison comic miniseries for Dark Horse. Honestly, I found myself sympathizing with them a bit for their motives, and tried my best to capture their characters as accurately as I could. Now, before the rest of you EU buffs try to get on my case for Volta being an admiral before Natasi Daala, let me explain. Since the timeline changed, and Volta is highly capable and qualified, it made sense to me that she should be a high-ranking member of the Imperial Navy. As for Trachta, I wanted to give him a hybrid version between Ghost Prison and Empire. So, the next chapter will deal with the fallout of this revelation, and their next move in gaining more recruits. Oh, before I forget, Trachta figuring out the Yularen and Thrawn’s loyalties wasn’t hard for him because he is a clever man, and he is not blinded by friendship or arrogance, as in the case of Sidious and Vader, and Volta is Force-sensitive, so it wasn’t hard for the two of them to connect the dots. Whether or not they will join the Shadow Alliance is anyone’s guess. One more thing. Now we know what is driving Tau. He just wants people to follow the light of Iluvatar of his own free will, and be free from all the dangers that are coming. 
> 
> So, did you see the finale for Star Wars Rebels, because I did, and my reaction was somewhat mixed? While I enjoyed Ezra sacrificing himself, and Sabine and Ahsoka going after him after Endor, I can’t believe that they used the Purrgil to defeat Thrawn, and that only Gregor died on the heroes’ side during the Liberation of Lothal. Not to mention the name that Kanan and Hera’s son, Jacen Syndulla, which I prefer stayed with Jacen Solo. I do hope that Sabine finds Ezra, and they get together, because I like that ship from MandoCommander’s stories, as they are excellent. Well, I guess that that’s it for the day of March 6, 2018. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	31. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone! I am so sorry for starting this chapter late on March 7, 2018. There’s a rather embarrassing reason for that. I actually wrote about a thousand words on the latest chapter yesterday, but, for some unknown reason, I accidentally replaced every version of my documents with an older version. Well, at least it was a lesson well learned. I’d better get started on writing, as I’ve got a lot of ground to cover in so little time. Wish me luck.

_One Hour Later, On Dantooine_

_Within the Whiplash Base_

“ _This is a most troubling development._ ” Mon Mothma gravely said as the full weight of the situation crashed onto everyone’s minds.

 

She, her two senatorial allies, Clan Skirata, Climber, Trace, the crew of the _Second Chance_ , the leaders of Whiplash, and Viridian Mollory and Daniel Valo had just finished listening to Tau, Kal, and Rahm explain how Grand Moff Trachta and Admiral Shonn Volta discovered Colonel Yularen and Captain Thrawn’s loyalties to the Shadow Alliance, and forced them to allow Shonn to attend the summit on Lah’mu that would begin in twenty-nine days.

 

“We should count ourselves lucky that we have a chance to gain more allies, especially two more highly-placed Imperials within Sidious’s inner court.” Rahm said in his trademark military professional tone.

 

“ _And just how do you propose that we proceed with the summit, now that Sidious is sending his best admirals and Dark Side followers to crush our alliance? I don’t want to give up the summit either, but I can’t see any other way to keep it going without getting everyone killed._ ” Garm reluctantly said, not eager to turn away from a battle, but not willing to risk everything on such a suicidal gamble without any form of contingency.

 

“ _Maybe not._ ” Ferus said as an idea began to form in his head, and he said to Tau, Viridian and Daniel, “ _How many forces do you have under your command?_ ”

 

Immediately catching on to what the former Jedi and rebel leader was saying, Viridian said over the Holonet, “ _We have a fleet of Yuuzhan Vong warships, several battalions of Clone Troopers, a Confederate remnant, the loyalty of most of the Mandalorians, the defecting Imperials and their prisoners, several Gree warships, along with other ships of ancient designs, and several planets that have strong armies that have been equipped with the latest tech from this time. We’ve also been developing the various fleets of warships and starfighters that came from Tau’s time, so we have the beginnings of a navy that the galaxy has never seen._ ”

 

“ _But we cannot afford to show our full might before we’re ready. Otherwise, Sidious could destroy us before we’re ready for a full-scale war with his forces. Not to mention that he’ll devastate any world that is allied with us in order to set an example for the rest of the galaxy._ ” Bail protested, not willing ot allow the Emperor to destroy his home world like Tarkin did in Tau’s timeline.

 

“I agree with the Jedi.” Before anyone, especially Viridian, who did not share a good history with the Mandalorian colonel, could question his sanity, he continued, saying, “I don’t like the idea of gathering all of our forces and leaders in one place, but, they have a good point. This is our chance to show the galaxy what we’re capable of, and draw in more recruits from all across the galaxy. We can use the Confederacy’s old Shadowfeed facilities to broadcast the battle onto every planet in the galaxy. ” Kal said before he continued, darkly saying, “Plus, since Sidous and Vader are going to be away from Coruscant and their Sith shrine, this might be our best shot of taking out those two Sith Lords while they’re drawn away from the capital world.”

 

“ _Plus, this is our best shot of eliminating the Sith shrine underneath the Temple while they’re away._ ” Viridian said, as he and Daniel shared a look of mutual understanding.

 

Celeste then skeptically said, “And, just how, pray tell, do the two of you plan to destroy a Dark Side nexus where the entire Jedi Council of the Great Hyperspace War failed to do so?”

 

“ _We’ve been devising this plan for a while now, and we have a way to bring down the Sith shrine with a bunch of thermal detonators. We can send Jak, Ulra, and Jasmine to Coruscant in order to destroy the shrine itself. The only snag in the plan is that we don’t have a way to eliminate the nexus of Dark Side energy that’s been building up there all of this time._ ” Daniel said, not at all offended by the Jedi Covenant Shadow’s lack of belief in him.

 

“Hey, wait a minute, that’s it.” Tau said as he snapped his fingers at the sudden but obvious solution to the problem. We’d need a massive amount of Light Side energy if we’re going to destroy the Dark Side nexus there. Well, what if we have Lady Galadriel, Gandalf, Master T’Ra Saa, and the rest of us perform a ritual that can destroy the shrine’s potency with the Dark Side, thereby eliminating much of Sidious’s foresight?” 

 

“ _Yes… Yes, that could work._ ” Viridian said as he completely agreed with Tau’s idea. “ _Both Gandalf and Lady Galadriel are already strong enough to do this on their own, but, if we all pool our energies together, then we could eliminate the dark taint there. We can do it before the summit begins, and hopefully take out some more of Sidious’s best servants._ ”

 

“Good, good.” Tau said before he continued, saying to Viridian, “Contact Lady Galadriel, Gandalf, and Master Billaba, and ask them for their consent to this plan.”

 

After Viridian nodded in agreement, he mischievously said, “ _I also know that Vem Carr would be more than happy to lead his forces in battle against the Empire for its desecration of Kashyyyk and other beautiful worlds._ ”

 

“Excellent. It’ll be good to fight with Yuuzhan Vong again.” Tau said, reminiscing over the first Shadow Alliance’s Siege of Korriban with Edaan.

 

He then continued, saying, “We’ll need to start preparing for the summit at Lah’mu, which means that we need to establish a strong ground and planetary defense of the system if we’re going to hit the Empire where it really hurts. I’ll contact Fenn Shysa, and see what resources and warriors he can spare. Senator Organa, how many rebel cells have agreed to the summit?”

 

“ _So far, the Partisans, General Kota and Berch Teller’s cells, Cham Syndulla’s Free Ryloth movement, the Commenor Underground, the Atrivis Resistance Group, and the Christophsis resistance. These are the most powerful rebel groups in existence as of yet, and we don’t expect too many other groups to come, given the risks involved._ ” Bail said as he read off the list of names from the datapad in his hands.

 

“That’s more than we hope for, Senator.” Ahsoka said before she said, “Send me a copy of those reports, and I’ll help Ferus set up the security measures for the summit.”

 

“ _Of course, Ahsoka._ ” Bail said, grateful that his spymaster was still willing to take on her responsibilities after her leave of absence in order to help recruit several Jedi for the Shadow Alliance.

 

Meanwhile, Tau was lost in his thoughts due to the mention of Cham Syndulla. He then thought of his daughter, Hera Syndulla, and the rest of the Specters, and how the two lovers Kanan and Hera, along with Captain Rex, died by a corrupted Ezra Bridger’s hand due to the influence of one of Sorzus Syn’s holocron, and fell to the Dark Side as Darth Snoke before he was redeemed by Edaan Palpatine, and then killed by Darth Sedriss before becoming One with the Force beside an elderly Sabine Wren, a middle-aged Garazeb Orrelios, and the aged C1 astromech droid nicknamed “Chopper.”

 

Akuu, guessing what Tau was thinking about when Bail mentioned Cham’s name, nudged him back to reality, which, thankfully for him, no one noticed.

 

Tau then said, “We need to ramp up our recruitment efforts, and we’ll need specialists if we’re going to stand a chance against Sidious’s fleet when our forces collide. Which means that we’re going to have to split up if we’re going to recruit as many people as we can, be it Jedi, Clones, criminals, and everyone else in the galaxy.”

 

He then turned to Ahsoka, and said, “We need you and Kal to go to Seelos in order to get Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor, and give them the cure for their accelerated aging.”

 

Next, he turned to face Rahm, and said, “I know where you can find X2, the only clone of Falon Grey, your old pupil, that stayed true to the Jedi after Order Sixty-Six. Ironically enough, he’s here on Dantooine as a farmer, so you can get him before we leave.” 

 

Even as Rahm put the pieces together in his mind at what Tau was implicating, he ardently said in denial, “That’s impossible, Tau. Even if the Kaminoans took samples of Falon and me during our crash-landing on their home world, they could never perfect the cloning process on a Force-sensitive. The Force-sensitivity always makes the clones go mad.” 

 

“Well, they did. And they made two fully-grown clones of Grey: X1 and X2. The former is a Dark Side Acolyte and military commander under Sidious’s command, while the latter deserted the Empire after they were going to destroy a village on this world as punishment for harboring Grey. He only survived through Grey’s last act of healing his wounds that X1 inflicted on him.” Tau said.

 

“Then we’re fortunate that Vader never found us a year ago, as that was when the Imperials last showed up on Dantooine.” Den said, realizing just how close the Empire came to discovering Whiplash’s hidden base of operations.

 

“Indeed we are, Den.” I-Five said in agreement.

 

“What about the rest of us? We can’t just stay here as sitting mynocks while the rest of you find more Jedi and Clones for our army.”

 

“I’m heading to Dweem in order to get Master Aqinos and his Iron Knights to join our cause.” Tau said, surprising everyone with how freely he was talking about recruiting Force-Sensitive Shards and their Sunesi teacher for training them as Jedi Knights.

 

Anticipating the storm of complaints that would come his way, Tau said, “In my timeline, the Iron Knights and Aquinos helped rebuild the Jedi Order, and helped play key roles in defending the galaxy from the Yuuzhan Vong. Oh, and, let’s not forget their roles in helping end the Arkanian Revolution, and helped fight for the Republic during the Clone War, despite the bigotry the mainstream Order threw at them. Plus, in our position, we can’t afford to be too picky about our allies.”

 

“Makes sense to me.” Ventis said, before he continued, saying, “If we’re going to take on the Empire and Sidious, we’re going to need all of the Jedi and allies that we can find, so that means that we all need to make compromises for the greater good.”

 

“And, it would be interesting to see their take on the Force.” Ahsoka said, seeing another of the benefits of meeting another sect of Jedi that existed outside of the Jedi Council’s inflexible control over the Order.

 

“Okay, we’re losing sight of the main goal here, which is to recruit as many people as we can into the Shadow Alliance before Lah’mu.” Walon said, not wanting the discussion to get derailed into a discussion about the Force.

 

He then turned to Tau, and said, “What about the rest of us? Got any missions for us?”

 

“I have a mission for Akuu. I need him to go to Anzat, and find his father so that we can get him, his students, and Jedi Masters Tholme and T’Ra Saa. We’ll need the Anzati to carry out assassination efforts across the galaxy, while Tholme can help maintain our spy network, and T’Ra Saa can coordinate the bulk of the Shadow Alliance’s forces through the art of Battle Meditation. And, maybe we can find Master Vos as well, and be one of our underworld agents.” Tau said, the last sentence earning him steely glares from the bulk of the Mandalorians, which he expected, given Quinlan’s animosity with the Clone Troopers that were under his command during his time as a Jedi General.

 

Kal then growled out, “Why would you want to recruit Quinlan Vos, given his record and mistrust for clones, especially since you’re one yourself, Tau?”

 

“Well, I’ll grant you that one, Kal. You have every right to hold hatred for the man, given how he treated the Clone Troopers as living weapons.” Tau acknowledged, before he continued, saying, “But, he had… let’s just say a complicated past, and suffered from darkness for most of his life, especially after his memory was wiped clean by the illegal drug Glitteryll seventeen years ago. And, at least he was professional in his treatment of them, and didn’t treat them as bad as Krell.”

 

“True. He did suffer a lot from the Anzati, his own great-aunt, and Dooku and his own darkness during his time as a double agent. It’s a small miracle that he came back from the edge at all.” Mij conceded.   
  


“I’m not even going to ask how you found out about his childhood, because I doubt that I’ll like the answer.” Tau said as he rolled his eyes at Mij’s knowledge of the Kiffar Jedi’s past. He then turned to face Kal, and said, “Lokk, I’m going to level with you. He has a wife and a son that are in danger for him just being a Jedi, and neither of them are Force-Sensitive. Can you honestly say that you would want them dead just because Quinlan’s judgment of the clones under his command, especially since Faie was willing to bombard an entire Wookiee village in order to flush him out of hiding.”

 

“So, you’re willing to tell me that the Order would accept Vos having a family, but not me and Etain?” Darman said, a hint of anger creeping into his voice as he spoke, with Kal, Walon, and Etain close behind him.

 

“Of course not, Darman. He only found Khaleen being pregnant out at the height the Siege of Saleucami, and was going to leave the Jedi Order after the war ended in order to raise his family. The only reason that he survived Order Sixty-Six was because of his somewhat friend, the Devarionan smuggler Vilmarh Grahrk. He was reunited with his family, along with Tholme and T’Ra Saa, on Kashyyk eight months after the Empire rose. They went into hiding ever since.”

 

“Okay. Let’s say that, by some miracle, those three Jedi managed to survive the three years afterwards. How do you expect Akuu here to find them?” Mereel skeptically said.

 

“Because my father hid Tholme and T’Ra Saa there for twelve years before Cad Bane took the human down. Everyone else was able to remain hidden thanks to Tholme’s misdirection, but he died thanks to Bane’s brutality. Master Saa and my father then cremated him in order to honor his memory. T’Ra then meditated there for decades in order to remain hidden, and to mourn her lover’s death. It was only because Edaan helped me with a personal quest that I showed him where the Neti Jedi Master was, and she joined the new Jedi Order as a Council Member. If anyone knows where Quinlan and his family are, it’ll be Tholme and T’Ra Saa.”

 

Kal then relented, and reluctantly said, “Fine. Just keep him away from the Clone Troopers, and keep him as a spymaster and underworld agent, and I’ll try to play nice.” He then muttered to himself, “The things that we do in wartime.”

 

“ _Not to further derail the meeting, but I’ve got some news pertaining to Bane._ _I have reason to believe that he is on Remnant._ " Viridian suddenly stated, which left Tau, Akuu, and Jarael flabbergasted at this revelation.

 

“What?!? How could he have found Remnant so quickly? Has he found you guys, or is he just searching for another bounty?” Tau said, fearing the worst.

 

“ _We’re not completely sure that it’s him. We’ve just heard rumors of him in Vacuo, and have spies looking out for him. We’re just lucky that he hasn’t found us yet, but he’s close to our other allies._ ” Viridian said, with emphasis on the last two words in the sentence, which Tau caught on with at once.

 

“Thank Iluvatar for small mercies.” Tau gratefully said, as he did not want Cad, or any of Sidious’s servants, to discover a certain bounty hunter and his crew that was allied with the Shadow Alliance just yet. He then said to Viridian, “Keep me appraised of any further developments.”

 

“ _Agreed._ ” Viridian said, before they heard Climber cough, and everyone turn their heads to face him.

 

“Getting back on track, we’re going to need more people if we’re going to build an alliance that can surpass Sidious’s growing armies and navies. What can the rest of us do to help if we’re going to prepare for Lah’mu while you guys gather more recruits?” Climber said as he interjected himself into the meeting.  

 

“Once Ahsoka and Kal find Captain Rex and the others, you’ll all go to Ponemah Terminal, where you’ll liberate Kix from his stasis pod on the Obrexta III, and find the data core that can accelerate the arming of our alliance.” Tau explained, knowing that it would take an elite crew of fighters if they were going to fight their way through a _Providence_ -class carrier/destroyer’s crew of battle droids. ”I’ll be busy bringing Master Aquinos and his disciples into the fold, along with helping prepare Lah’mu for the summit in twenty-nine days. Plus, I have a plan in order to bring Galen Erso into the fold. We’ll rendezvous there after our missions are complete.”

 

“What kind of plan, Tau?” Walon curiously said, wondering just how the Jedi Knight would recruit a pacifist scientist into an organization that would wage war against the Empire and other lurking dangers.

 

“A contingency against the Empire’s most well-known superweapon in its arsenal.” Tau said, which immediately stunned the grizzled Mandalorian in his tracks, as he knew what weapon Tau was talking about.

 

“Well, good luck with that plan. I don’t envy you for trying to convince the Ersos to join this merry band of ours.” Walon sarcastically said.

 

“Once they realize the stakes, they’ll come around. I have faith in them.” Tau said.

 

“Well, while you’re all preparing for your missions, I’m going to go find this ‘X2’. We’ll see if your claims are true or not.” Rahm said with a hint of skepticism in his voice as he spoke.

 

He then walked out of the command center and walked towards the shuttle bay, and found that Arden was walking with him, which surprised the Jedi General, and he said as politely as he could, given that he was talking to a former Dark Jedi, “Got somewhere to go, Arden?”

 

“If it’s all right with you, I was hoping that I could go with you, General Kota. I would like to explore this planet some before we go on our missions. Plus, I need a break from all of this planning and war meetings that are going on, as I prefer action over deep thinking.” Arden nonchalantly said, which Kota could partially understand, as he too preferred decisive action to philosophy and diplomacy.

 

“Fine. Just don’t get in the way.” Rahm playfully said in an attempt to enter some banter with the ex-Emperor’s Hand.

 

“Don’t worry, Rahm. I can pull my own weight.” Arden said as she followed Rahm into one of the four ARC-170 Starfighters that resided within the hangar. The two Light-Siders quickly primed the ship for launch, flew it eastward of the base, where Rahm could sense a very similar presence in the Force that resembled his former apprentice.

 

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_On X2’s Farm_

 

The former Imperial Stormtrooper X2 was busy bringing in a new harvest of crops for his monthly profits, when, through his nascent connection to the Force, felt two strong individuals approach him. Turning his head seventy degrees to the left, he heard the familiar engines of an ARC-170 Starfighter, and he pulled out a hidden blaster that he kept in his barn, fearing that Darth Vader or X1 had discovered that he had survived last year’s massacre at Dantooine.

 

Once the starfighter landed, he was instead surprised to see a woman dressed in red jump out of the copilot’s position. A man soon followed, one that X2 immediately recognized as Rahm Kota, Jedi Master, a General of the defunct Grand Army of the Republic, and one of the only Jedi who did not use any clone troopers in his army while fighting the Confederacy during the Clone War, which enabled him to escape Order Sixty-Six with his life.

 

Putting the blaster away on his holster, the clone walked up to Rahm, and said, “Something that I can help you with, or are you lost?”

 

Rahm did not answer right away, as he could not find the words to speak his amazement at the fact that Tau’s words on X2’s existence were true, and he could sense the Force burn brightly within the young man’s body. Once he composed himself, he said as calmly as he could, “So, you are a clone of Falon Grey.”

 

Dropping all illusions of innocence, X2 incredulously said, “How can you possibly know that?”

 

“Because we heard that my former Padawan gave his life to save you. We need you in our war against the Empire and the Emperor.” The blue-haired woman said before she introduced herself, saying, “My name is Arden Lyn, and I was a former Hand of Emperor Palpatine before I saw the light of my sins, and have defected to a truly righteous cause.”

 

“Falon Grey was your Padawan?” X2 incredulously said, before he recomposed himself, and said, “Well, General Kota, Ms. Lyn, I don’t know what the two of you could possibly want with me, as I was just a simple soldier before being betrayed by my own batch brother, and now I’m a farmer.”

 

“You are so much more than that. I can sense that the Force is burning brightly within you like a bonfire. You could be a Jedi, just like your father was, and how your brother should have been before he became intoxicated by power. Instead, we found you here, wallowing in self-pity as you toil the land like it was your life’s work.” Rahm said as he scolded the young clone for his fall into depression.

 

“Is that all? Let me tell you something, General Kota. You’re not the only one that lost everything to Palpatine’s machinations. I lost my friends, my brother, Master Ferroda, and my father due to one Sith Lord’s selfishness.” X2 retorted, not willing to hear any derision from one of the few Jedi that had nothing to do with the Clone Troopers due to his lack of trust in them.

 

“That may be true, but now we have a second chance to set things right before we lose our one chance to save the galaxy from eternal darkness.” Arden impassionately said, which caught the younger man off-guard, as he did not understand what the former assassin was talking about.

 

“What do you mean by that?” X2 cautiously said as he found himself listening to the former Dark Jedi’s words intently.

 

“It’s a long story, X2. But, if you want to truly honor Master Ferroda, the memory of your brother, and Falon Grey, then come with us back to base, and we can train you in the ways of the Jedi.” Rahm said, not willing to explain everything out here in the middle on nowhere.

 

“Even if I were to agree to this offer, I still have a farm to tend to, as I’ve got a lot of people that are counting on my crops if they’re going to last the next few months on Mygeeto.” X2 said, not willing to leave good people to stave on a frozen wasteland.

 

“We can have several farmers from Raada take your place here. They can do at least as good a job as you can while you help the Shadow Alliance save the galaxy.” Rahm said in the form of a compromise, which further confused the clone trooper.

 

“The ‘Shadow Alliance’? What in blazes is that supposed to be?” X2 confusingly said to the two visitors.

 

“Our rebellion against the Empire, which is growing every day.” Rahm explained before he implored X2 to come with them, saying, “I can train you in the ways of the Jedi, just as I did for Falon, but you have to ask yourself what it is that you really want. Do you want to live on a farm, helping, at most, a few hundred people, or be a Jedi, like your father, and help the entire galaxy?”

 

After a minute of looking within his soul in order to realize where his destiny laid, X2 said for his answer, “What do you want me to do?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, that’s a good ending point for the next chapter of my story. So, what did you guys think of it? Before you get angry with me for how I portrayed the Rebels characters, let me explain. I started this story about a month before the Season 2 finale, and I expected Ezra to fall to the Dark Side after opening the Sith holocron, which is why I gave him the moniker Darth Snoke. I now see how foolish I was, and can’t wait to see if Sabine and Ahsoka can find him. It’s a shame that I likely won’t be able to watch the next TV series, as it will likely be on Disney’s new streaming service, which I won’t buy. Now then, how have you guys been doing, as I’m on Spring Break from community college for next week, so I will have a bunch of time to write, after I do my homework, of course? I hope that you are well, and I hope to hear some constructive criticism from you guys. May the Force be with you on March 9, 2018, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	32. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone. What’s up on March 10, 2018? I’m doing all right, as I mowed my parents’ lawn, had a good lunch, did some homework, and am now working on the next chapter of my story. So, are you guys excited for the Summit and Siege of Lah’mu, because I know that I am, as it will be a battle of even greater proportions than the Defense of Mandalore? Don’t worry, it’ll come in around ten chapters, as our heroes still have some recruiting to do before the Siege begins. Well, with the small talk out of the way, let’s get started on the next chapter of my story, as I only have so long in the day before I have to go to sleep. 
> 
> (March 12, 2018 Addendum.) Good afternoon, everyone. How are you doing tonight? I’m very excited, as I just got accepted into a local college today, so that means that I can continue my education after community college in a few months. Oh, and I worked for four hours today at my local movie theater, so this chapter might need to come out tomorrow. Just giving you a heads-up for the delay. Well, I’d better get back to writing, as I have homework to do tomorrow for school. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all, my friends.

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_In the Jedi Enclave_

_Within The Shuttle Bay_

X2 could barely comprehend the brief explanation that General Kota and Arden Lyn had just finished telling him about the Shadow Alliance and the threats beyond the Empire and the Sith.

 

He said in denial, “This-This is some kind of joke, right? I mean, an intergalactic invasion? A Jedi Knight, who just so happens to be a descendant of the Emperor, from the future? Rogue _Celestials_? This is the kind of stuff that you’d expect to find out of holofilms, not in real life.”

 

“Oh, they’re real, X2. And Tau and the rest of us are going to take down his ancestor and prepare the Empire for everything that’s coming.” Arden said, disappointed, but not surprised by the Clone Trooper’s skepticism.

 

“And here I thought that things were crazy enough without your delusional ranting of a galactic apocalypse.” X2 derisively said, before he saw a Togruta woman in her early twenties, who X2 recognized as Ahsoka Tano, the former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker before she left the Jedi Order after the Old Republic falsely accused her of terrorism.

 

“Well, I take it that this is the next recruit?” Ahsoka said as she extended a hand to greet the new arrival, which he hesitatingly took, not sure what to make of the former Jedi being here.

 

“That’s correct, Ahsoka. He’s agreed to join our cause, provided if we send some of your friends from Raada to tend his farm. Apparently, there’s a lot of people on Mygeeto that count on his crops for their survival.” Rahm said in confirmation.

 

“Deal. I know a few old friends that might be willing to help us. I’ll get in contact with Senator Organa before Kal and I leave for Seelos to find Rex and the others.” Ahsoka said as if she was concluding a business deal with someone instead of talking about building a rebellion.

 

“Well, I see that you have powerful connections, Commander Tano.” X2 astoundingly said, which made Ahsoka chuckle over the old military title from the Clone War.

 

“Just call me Ahsoka, as I’m not a Jedi anymore.” The Togruta said as she continued to speak, saying, “Hey, how about you come with us to recruit my old friend, Captain Rex? You might have known him by his birth number, CT-7567.”

 

“The leader of Torrent Company? Who hadn’t heard of him within the old GAR? He was a legend within the Five-Oh-First. But, I thought that he was…” He incredulously said before he realized the truth, and said, “He faked his death alongside you, didn’t he?”

 

“Got it in one, apprentice.” Rahm said, surprising X2 with his sudden decision, as him becoming a Jedi was not part of the deal. Before he could protest, Rahm continued, saying, “I think that the best way that the two of us can honor Falon’s memory is by me training you to use your gifts to help people, just like he tried to do before his death.”

 

“Hold on, Kota. I agreed to become a soldier in this Shadow Alliance of yours. I never agreed to become a Jedi. I’m not worth of such an honor.” X2 tried to say in denial.

 

“We all find ourselves doing things that we would have never expected us to do, X2. I never thought that I’d be working alongside clones after Order Sixty-Six, but here I am, working alongside several battalions worth of clones, not to mention that one of the founders and leaders of the Shadow Alliance is a clone. And, Arden here was an Emperor’s Hand before she defected to the Jedi. Oh, and, let’s not forget that Ahsoka’s a leader of our intelligence division. We’re all doing crazy things for the greater good of the galaxy. Besides, I have faith in your abilities, X2.” Rahm countered.

 

“You guys sure know how to throw a sales pitch, I’ll give you that.” X2 said as he chuckled his amusement at the reasoning behind the three Force-sensitives attempts to convince him to become a Jedi.

 

He then said in defeat, “Fine, I’ll do it. But, only because I want to do good in the whole galaxy again, and this is the best way to do it.”

 

“Excellent.” Rahm said as he clapped his hands together in satisfaction, and said, “We’ll start your official Jedi training after we liberate a Clone Trooper that goes by the name of Kix from a Separatist dreadnought that’s marooned on Ponemah Terminalin a few days. We’ll be heading there tomorrow after a day of preparation for everyone’s respective missions.”

 

“Well, at least it’ll give me time to meet everyone.” X2 optimistically said as he followed the three higher-ranking members of the Shadow Alliance into the command center.

 

_Meanwhile, On Imperial Center_

_Within the Imperial Palace_

_Inside the Emperor’s Throne Room_

 

“So, you have a plan to gather intelligence within the Shadow Alliance, my old friend?” Darth Sidious skeptically said to Grand Moff Trachta, who, aside from Darth Vader, who considered his fellow cyborg to be a rival for their master’s favor, Admiral Shonn Volta, Trachta’s right hand, and eight Royal Guards, were the only beings in his personal throne room.

 

“Indeed, your highness. Admiral Shonn Volta can infiltrate the Shadow Alliance’s summit on the grounds of your ‘brutal subjugation’ of many of the worlds that are being brought into the Imperial fold. Once the attack on their forces begins, she can assassinate several of the leaders of this group of extremists, thereby crippling their chain of command, making our inevitable victory over them all the quicker.”

 

Sidious appeared intrigued at the idea, while Vader was seething inside due to the Grand Moff’s pathetic attempt to curry favor with his master. He would rather prefer to simply eradicate every member of this Shadow Alliance, while keeping Tau alive for his personal designs, as he could be a much better Sith Apprentice than Starkiller, the boy on his prototype Super Star Destroyer within the Scarl System.

 

His thoughts were derailed when his master spoke to Shonn, saying, “Admiral Volta, are you willing to undertake this mission for the good of the Empire?”

 

The near human kneeled on the ground in deference to her master, and said, “I would give my life for the Empire, if you so desired it, my master.” 

 

Sidious then flashed a toothy smile, revealing his yellow and decaying set of teeth, and said, “Good. You have my approval for this plan of yours, Grand Moff Trachta. Take your pupil, and eliminate the Shadow Alliance’s high command on Lah’mu before we invade. I wish you the best of luck on you mission, Admiral Volta.”

 

Trachta and Shonn then bowed in deference to their leader’s acceptance of their proposed strategy, and quietly exited the throne room.

 

Sidious then turned his head to Vader, and disappointingly said, “You should curb your petty jealousy of Trachta and Admrial Volta, my apprentice. The two of them are merely doing their duties to the Empire with the best of their ability, which is something that you can learn from, instead of just using brute force to solve a problem.”

 

“Those two are mere sycophants who do not truly understand the Force, my Master.” Vader said in protest, which earned him a bout of Force Lightning from his master.

 

After the lightning dissipated, Sidious angrily said, “There is more to ruling an empire than brute force, Lord Vader. I would have thought that your time on Vaklin would have shown you how to best deal with enemies instead of just through might alone. It will take every ounce of power between our servants and us to destroy Tau Palpatine’s Shadow Alliance, as he holds the key to knowledge and power that could destroy us.”

 

“And… we will, Master.” Vader said, forcing himself to accept his master’s decree, and hoped that his plan to make Tau his apprentice would bear fruit so that he could kill the man who lied to him about saving his wife from death.

 

“Good.” Sidious satisfactorily said, before he continued, saying, “Now, we must go to Khar Shian, where we may see the first phase of our plan against the best of the surviving Jedi and their allies bear fruit.”

 

With that said, Sidious, Vader, and the eight Royal Guards departed the throne room, and headed to each of their personal Star Destroyers that lay in orbit above Imperial Center.

 

_One Day Later_

_Twenty-Eight Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah’mu_

_On Dantooine_

_Within the Repurposed Jedi Enclave_

“Well, here’s some good news, guys. Trachta and Shonn managed to convince Sidious to let the admiral to attend our summit, and she’ll be on Lah’mu in two weeks.” Ahsoka said, reading a transmission that she had received from Colonel Yularen through her personal network. She then said, “In other news, Sidious and Vader are on their personal Star Destroyers, the _Empire’s Vengeance_ and _Devastator_ , respectively, and heading for the Imperial fleet’s rendezvous point of Khar Shian.

 

“Wow. So soon? I guess that those two are more efficient than we thought.” Tau said, before he continued, saying, “Well, we’d better get started on our missions, as we’ve got ten days to complete our missions before we head to Lah’mu for our summit. Hey, Ahsoka? Can I see you for a second?”

 

Ahsoka, confused as to what her boyfriend had to say before each ship departed for their recruitment missions, walked over to him, and asked, “What’s up, Tau?”

 

“I… was wondering if… uh…” Tau hesitatingly began, before he mustered his courage, and continued, saying, “After the Summit, assuming that we both survive this battle, would you consider going on a date with me, you know, as a couple?” He then nervously chuckled, while the rest of the assembled crew wolf-whistled at Tau’s hesitance in asking his love on their first official date.

 

“Does this answer your question, Tau Palpatine?” Ahsoka seriously said before she grabbed him by his collar, and pulled him into a long and passionate kiss, which he quickly melted into.

 

 Once she let go of him, she said, “Yes. I’d love to go on a date with you. We can pick out the place after we escape with our lives against the Empire’s wrath.”

 

“Deal.” Tau gladly said before he saw Akuu point to his wrist in order to emphasize how they were stretched for time, and separated from Ahsoka.

 

He then said to everyone, “All right, everyone. We each have our respective missions, and know our rendezvous point in ten days. Let’s get going. May Iluvatar protect us until our upcoming battle is over.” With that, he and Butch headed for Jax Pavan’s personal ship, the _Laranth_ , where he and the ship’s crew would head to the icy world of Dweem in order to find and recruit exiled Jedi Master Aquinos, and his Iron Knight disciples.

 

Ahsoka, Kal, Mij, Jarael, and Walon headed to the _Second Chance_ , where Arnine awaited them in order to find Rex and his fellow clone deserters on the barren world of Seelos.

 

Akuu went in a CloakShape fighter in order to visit his father, who he expected to surprise the man whose name they shared, and with the story that he had to offer him.

 

Rahm and X2 prepared their ARC-170 Starfighter for departure in order to recruit the marooned Clone Trooper Able-1707 on the deserted world of Lubang Minor, and bring him into the Shadow Alliance’s burgeoning Intelligence division.

 

The remainder of their allies prepared their ships for the journey to Ponemah Terminal in order to rescue Kix from Separatist captivity, as well as gather the locations on many Confederate storehouses throughout the galaxy.

 

After final preparations, each ship went on their respective missions, and they headed off into space, where they each made their way into hyperspace, where they made their separate ways for now, while the rest of Whiplash prepared to scuttle the base before they headed to their predetermined backup base on Sernpidal.

 

_Three Days Later_

_Twenty-Five Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah’mu_

_On Seelos_

_Within the Repurposed AT-TE_

CT-7567, better known as the former Clone Trooper that called himself Rex, was waking up from another monotonous night of rest when he heard the voice of CC-3636, also called Wolffe gruffly say, “Hey, Rex, we’ve got visitors. A YT-1300 freighter is coming in hot from 0800.”

 

Immediately alert, Rex said, “Did they identify themselves?”

 

“No, Rex. They knew us by name and number, so I’m betting that they’re Imperials.” Wolffe worriedly said.

 

Before he could continue, CC-5576-39, a Clone Commando called “Gregor” who survived death on multiple occasions during the Clone War, arrived from inside, and nonchalantly said, “I doubt that, Wolffe. I recognized one of the voices from the transmission. It’s my old trainer from the GAR’s _Cuy'val Dar_ , Kal Skirata. He’s no friend of the Empire, so we can relax.”

 

“Kal Skirata?” Rex said, instantly recognizing the name from his first ten years of existence on Kamino, and began putting on his clone armor. In less than a minute, he was ready for presentation, and said to Gregor, “Are there any others with him?”

 

“He said that you’d recognize your fellow deserter of the Siege of Mandalore from that sentence, and be ecstatic at her arrival.” Gregor said, before Wolffe became fearful at seeing a Jedi again, while Rex indeed became ecstatic at hearing that his last commanding officer survived Order Sixty-Six.

 

“Well, then, let’s give Sergeant Skirata and Commander Tano a soldier’s welcome.” Rex enthusiastically said.

 

After the three Clone Troopers went outside of their commandeered AT-TE, the YT-1300 freighter that Wolffe mentioned landed near their vehicle, and Rex could feel his heartbeat increase at the anticipation of seeing one of his closest friends from the Clone War.

 

Soon enough, Ahsoka Tano, Kal Skirata, and two other Mandalorians exited the ship, and Rex went down to greet them. Keeping himself in full military formation, despite his overwhelming urge to hug his old friend, he respectfully saluted Ahsoka as he said, “Commander. I see that you got yourself some new lightsabers.”

 

“Oh, drop the soldier’s routine, Rex. We’ve been friends for seven years, and haven’t seen each other in over four of those years.” Ahsoka said as she pulled Rex in for a tight embrace, which he quickly reciprocated.

 

Gregor saw Wolffe’s awkwardness at the situation of being in the presence of Ahsoka after Order Sixty-Six, and playfully punched him on the shoulder in order to get him to smile, which he did so after rolling his eyes at the commando’s playfulness.

 

Once the two Clone War veterans let go of each other, Rex turned to Kal, and politely said, “It’s good to see you again, Sergeant Skirata.”

 

Upon hearing his old rank, Kal chuckled, and said, “Actually, it’s Colonel Skirata now. But, just call me Kal for now.”

 

“‘Colonel?’ How in the blazes did that happen? Did you get that rank from Fenn Shysa?” Rex incredulously said, not willing to believe that Kal would accept a military rank that high, due to his disgust for protocol during the Clone War.

 

“Actually, it’s even crazier than that, Rex.” Ahsoka said as she bashfully rubbed the back of her head in fear of what he might do when she told him what was going on.

 

She then decided to get straight to the point, and said in complete honesty, “We are all a part of a secret alliance that is preparing to overthrow the Emperor in order to save the galaxy from both his rule, and even worse threats that are on the horizon.”

 

Rex, realizing that there was more to the story than that, said, “Why don’t you guys come inside, and we can catch up from there? We’re brewing a batch of caf for our next hunt for Joopas, so it’s a good time to see what we’ve all been up to.”

 

“Deal.” Ahsoka said as she and the three Mandalorians followed the three clones into their makeshift home.

 

Once everyone was within the AT-TE, Rex said to his longtime friend, “So, what is this about overthrowing old Palpatine?”

 

“We need you three to join our Shadow Alliance in order to prepare for a major battle between our forces and the Empire’s on the remote world of Lah’mu, where we have a summit planned for our allies in order to plan our next move.” Walon said, which caught each clone’s attention.

 

“Maybe it would be best if you started from the beginning, Ahsoka.” Rex suggested, wanting all of the information before committing to anything.

 

“All right. It’s a long story, though, so you’d better get a lot of caf ready.” Ahsoka said, before she began with how Tau Palpatine arrived at Alderaan over one month ago.

 

_Four Hours Later_

 

“No, no way! There’s no way that we’re joining some cockamamie scheme of the Emperor’s own flesh and blood in another pointless war, just so he can follow his delusional rantings of a galactic apocalypse!” Wolffe ardently said in denial as he shook his hands and head in rejection of Ahsoka’s request for them to join Tau Palpatine’s growing organization.

 

“Why not, Wolffe. It sounds like a lot of fun!” Gregor said as he chuckled in intrigue of fighting against impossible odds, just like he did so for D-Squad during his battle on Abafar after regaining his memories.

 

Rex, in an effort to calm his brothers, and answer some of the many questions that were ringing in his mind, said to Ahsoka, “You really believe that this ‘Tau Palpatine’ and his friends are from the future, and their warnings about so many evils that are coming, let alone the rogue Celestials and their forces that are running rampant across the galaxy? After all, we all fell for his ancestor’s lies before it was too late to stop him.”

 

“I’d agree, Rex, but I saw his memories, and analyzed his ship’s records, and both checked out. There’s also…” Ahsoka hesitated, fearing how Rex would react to the truth about Anakin’s fall to darkness.

 

Kal and Walon, knowing what Ahsoka was trying to say, nodded to each other, and Kal said to the two friends, “Why don’t we head to the Second Chance while Mij and Walon give Wolffe and Gregor the cure for their accelerated aging?”

 

All three clones could not believe what they were being offered, and, while Mij gave Wolffe and Gregor an explanation for this cure, Kal, Ahsoka, and Rex went into Tau’s ship, and Ahsoka told her comrade the truth on the Clone War.

 

_Thirty Minutes Later_

 

 “No, no, no. This- this must be some kind of mistake. General Skywalker would never join that karking Sith Lord just to save Senator Amidala and their kids from childbirth. He would never betray the Jedi Order that gave him so much. It’s just impossible!” Rex said in a panicked denial of the truth, as he had heard on how, during the Siege of Mandalore, Anakin had fallen to the Dark Side under Darth Sidious, better known as Chancellor Palpatine, and led a massacre on the Jedi Temple with the rest of the Five-Oh-First Legion.

 

The clones, under the influence of the control chips that Fives had warned him and Anakin about two months prior, aided the newly-dubbed Darth Vader in slaughtering the bulk of the Jedi in the Temple, leaving only a few dozen Jedi and their supporters surviving Operation: Knightfall, as it would soon be called.

 

“I wish it were true, Rex. Tau and I fought him on Korriban while we were rescuing A’Sharad Hett, and he’s all but completely given himself to the Dark Side. If we can’t get him to listen to us, we might not have a choice but to-” Ahsoka consolingly said to her friend, before Rex, in his distraught anger, lashed out at her, only to be held back by Kal at the last second.

 

“TO WHAT?!? Kill him? Our general, your master, and our friend, who we owe our lives to time and time again?” Rex distraughtly countered, not willing to believe that his commanding officer would become a murderous Sith Lord, just like Dooku was before he was killed at the end of the Clone War.

 

“If there’s no other action, then I have to put him down, for his own good. I’m the only one that can do it without risking falling to the Dark Side, because I’m the only one that can kill him out of love, and not hate and anger.” Ahsoka sadly said.

 

Kal, noticing that Rex, who had his head in his hands, was on the verge of tears at these horrific revelations, consolingly said to the Clone Trooper, “Look, we can worry about this later. Right now, we need your help to rescue Kix from Separatist captivity.”

 

Rex then looked up, and wiped his eyes in order to keep the tears from falling from his face, said, “Kix is alive? I-I thought that Dooku had captured and killed him before the war ended.”

 

“No, Rex. He’s still alive, and kept in stasis on a _Providence_ -Class Dreadnought that crash-landed on Ponemah Terminal, and we need him alive in order to prove to the rest of your brothers that Sidious is keeping them all enslaved through his lies and their misplaced loyalty. We knew that you’d want to help one of your best friends, so we came here before we went to Ponemah Terminal. Are you in?” Kal sympathetically said, while keeping out a few details on the specifics of their mission in order to bolster Rex’s resolve.

 

Rex, despite the emotional turmoil that his mind was enduring due to the shell-shocking truth on Vader being his former Jedi General, realized that he could help at least one more of his brothers escape the web of lies that Sidious had ensnared for everyone. He then resolutely said, “Count me in, Commander. I’ll contact Jesse and Fordo, and have them bring Commander Doom, Sergeants Coric and Boil, and Commander Jet. They disobeyed Order Sixty-Six by removing their control chips, and they can join us from their hiding place before we assault the dreadnought.”

 

“Good. We’ll need all the help that we can get, and they deserve the cure for their aging just as much as any other clone.” Kal said.

 

He then went with his two allies to the outside of the ship, and saw that Mij and Walon had finished administering the cure for the clones’ accelerated aging process, and they were awaiting the three of their comrade.

 

“Hey, Rex. Walon here said that we’ve got a mission to rescue Kix from a Separatist dreadnought. You need some help, brother?” Wolffe said, surprising Rex with his eagerness to get involved in another battle after narrowly escaping the Empire’s iron grip.

 

Rex quickly recovered from his shock, and smiled as he said, “Oh, don’t I know it, old friend.” The seven warriors then entered the _Second Chance_ , and the ship quickly made its way into hyperspace, where they would meet the rest of their allies before attacking the _Obrexta III_ in order to accomplish their dual objectives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends the first chapter of the heroes’ recruitment efforts before the Summit of Lah’mu begins. What did you guys think? Did I include enough content, or too much. Did you like how I portrayed Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor, as I wanted to blend their The Clone Wars versions with their Rebels versions? And, the mention of Fordo, Jesse, Doom, Jet, Boil, and Coric was Squahser’s idea, and he got it from the original draft of the Star Wars Rebels Clone Trooper arc. Oh, and I thought that Tau’s embarrassment at asking Ahsoka on a date was hilarious and well-done, as I wanted him to show vulnerability to the woman that he is quickly falling in love with. Well, I guess that that’s it for this update. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	33. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone! How are you doing on this cool day of March 13, 2018? I’m doing well, as I went to a big exhibit in order to complete a major assignment for one of my classes at community college. It’s done, so now I have plenty of time on my hands to write the next chapter of my story, which will take place on one, maybe two or three worlds, as I will have so much to write in, and so little time to do it in. Well, I’d better get started. Oh, before I forget, I wanted to tell you all that I’ve finished my book on the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (God rest his soul), and have begun to read a military history book on the American Civil War. I have a good feeling about this book. Anyway, back to writing.
> 
> (March 14, 2018 Addendum.) Sorry for adding an addendum to this story, but I have discovered a minor error in my story that I should clarify for everyone. You recall Akuu Seii II, my OC Anzati Mandalorian captain that is Tau’s right hand? Well, apparently, I’ve been spelling his name wrong. (Laughs awkwardly for a few seconds.) I checked Wookieepedia, and the name is supposed to be spelled “Akku Seii II.” Well, live and learn. I just wanted to let you know so that, from here on out, that is how I will spell his name. 
> 
> (10:03 Addendum) Sorry for adding yet another addendum to my story, but I have a couple of things that I’d like to tell you. First, I might have to finish this chapter on Friday, as I have a college tour scheduled for tomorrow, so I’ll have to spend a good deal of my day out. Second, and, in my eyes, just as important, Squasher updated his “Unexpected Jedi” crossover, and he included some of my characters in it. He did my characters justice, and I can’t wait to see what he does with them for the rest of the story. Well, back to writing.

_One Day Later_

_Twenty-Four Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah’mu_

_On Lubang Minor_

BL-1707, the sole survivor of his squad that was ambushed and decimated by Vulture Droids before being stranded here, was going about his usual hunting routine when he heard the familiar sound of starfighter engines appear in the blue sky.

 

Seeing a ship of an unfamiliar design, but recognizing the paint scheme and insignia from the Grand Army of the Republic, he quickly made his way to his downed Republic gunship, and put on his Clone Trooper armor, which, despite its wear from over seven years of usage, still as strong as ever. He then slowly followed the engine’s exhaust trail, and came across two armored men; the younger of them appeared to be in a modified version of Clone Trooper Armor, while the older man had silver armor on, and a lightsaber attached to his belt.

 

Realizing that he was saved from his prison of a world, and that he could return to the war that he was created for, BL-1707 raised his blaster rifle at attention, and said, “Able-1707, reporting for duty, General.”

 

“At ease, trooper.” The Jedi brusquely said, before he introduced himself and the other trooper, saying, “My name is Rahm Kota, and this is former Stormtrooper X2. We’re here to get you off of this planet, and recruit you into our fight against the Galactic Empire.”

 

“Better slow down, General.” X2 said to the Jedi Master, before he turned to face the Fett clone, and said, “You’ve missed out on a lot in the last six years, soldier.”

 

“I’ll say?” 1707 said, before he asked, “When did General Kota start working with Clone Troopers? And, why are they called Stormtroopers, and what is this about a Galactic Empire?” He then said in worry, “Did the Confederacy defeat the Republic?”

 

“No, soldier. The truth is much worse than a military defeat. Palpatine, the former Chancellor of the Republic, was a hidden Sith Lord, the ultimate enemy of the Jedi, and used the Clone Troopers to destroy the Jedi Order so that he could establish his own empire, which has enslaved so many worlds, and is growing stronger every day.” Rahm said in sympathy to the confused Clone Trooper.

 

“The Chancellor’s a Sith Lord and an emperor? How did…” 1707 confusingly said, before a horrible realization came into his mind, and, as he raised his blaster, he said, “Order Sixty-Six was initiated.”

 

‘Yes. Two years after you were stranded.” X2 said, before he quickly said as a warning, “Don’t even think of trying to kill General Kota, because it’ll only get _you_ killed, and that would be a disaster for everyone. We need your help to stop Palpatine from destroying the galaxy with his unquenchable lust for power.”

 

Realizing that he was outmatched, and he had many questions that only these two could answer, he lowered his rifle down, and said as calmly as he could, “Tell me what happened since I’ve been stranded on this world.”

 

_One Hour Later_

 

The unnamed Clone Trooper could not believe what the two Imperial fugitives had told him: After the war had lasted three years, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine had amassed so much political power that he usurped from the Galactic Senate, and he was discovered as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, the shadowy mastermind behind the Clone War. In response to save the galaxy from his evil, four Jedi Council members, under the command of High Council master Mace Windu, attempted to arrest Sidious. Tragically, due to the treachery of Anakin Skywalker, who, by this point, was dubbed the “Hero With No Fear”, all four Jedi were killed. Sidious then used it as an excuse to initiate Order Sixty-Six, which was carried out by almost every Clone Trooper in existence due to the implantation of bioorganic control chip that the Kaminoans, under the renegade Jedi Dooku’s orders, put into almost every clone during their development.

 

Because of this duplicity, the Jedi were decimated to the edge of extinction, and Palpatine was able to declare the Republic’s transformation into the First Galactic Empire, which was merely an instrument of both Sidious and Darth Vader’s, the heavily burned cyborg man who was once Anakin Skywalker, iron grip upon the galaxy.

 

This “Jedi Purge”, as it was called, was resulting in the eradication of freedom for every living person in the galaxy. Fortunately, a few brave individuals, including several surviving Jedi, were beginning to build an alliance that was dedicated to toppling Sidious’s empire, and replacing it with a government that would honor the Old Republic.

 

“I-I can’t believe this.” The Clone Trooper said in despair, before he brought up his rifle, and blasted away at a nearby tree in rage until his carbine pack overheated. He then threw the smoking rifle on the ground, and said in pure rage, “Where are those traitors?!? I’ll kill them with my own two hands!!!”

 

“Calm down, trooper.” X2 said in an attempt to keep the Clone Trooper from going into a murderous rampage, which only further infuriated the Fett clone.

 

“DON’T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!!!” Able-1707 shouted at the top of his lungs, before he continued, saying, “You haven’t spent six years trapped on a deserted jungle world, only to find out that the institutions that you were bred to protect were destroyed from the inside. Not to mention that we’re all wanted fugitives from the Empire, now that I know this knowledge, and that my commanding officer, General Shaak Ti, is probably dead by now.”

 

“For your information, I have a good idea of what you’re going through, trooper.” X2 heatedly said, before he continued, somberly saying, “I killed my commanding officer, General Ferroda, during Order Sixty-Six just because he defended himself from his own troops, including X1, my own power-hungry brother, when they turned on him, and I hate myself for doing that. I didn’t even have a _karking_ control chip in my head as an excuse for doing so. I may have left the Empire after it was going to destroy an entire village on Dantooine for harboring my genetic father, Falon Grey, but I lost X1 to the Dark Side, and my father was stabbed in the back by X1, who only cared about victory and his own power. The stain of my betrayal and service to the Sith sickens me to this day.”

 

BL-1707 could hardly believe what he was hearing. A clone of a Jedi, which was a thing that was unheard of in and of itself, was nearly killed by his own brother during a murderous rampage by his own fallen brothers, and killed his own genetic father for victory.

 

He wondered if the Clone Template, Jango Fett, knew of the Sith’s plans for galactic domination, or if he even cared for anyone beside himself.

 

Shaking himself out of his stupor, he resolutely said, “You came here to recruit me into this Shadow Alliance so that we can take down Sidious and his lackeys? Well, if the remaining Jedi have taken arms against that _schutta’s_ schemes, then count me in.” He then pulled off his helmet, revealing his shaggy black hair, and said, “Able-1707, reporting for duty, General Kota.”

 

“Good.” Rahm said as he pulled out a syringe from one of his pockets, and said, “Well, Able, if you’re going to work with us, then you’ll have a name of your own. From this point on, you’ll be called ‘Able.’ Plus, we have a gift for you. A cure for your accelerated aging, courtesy of Colonel Kal Skirata and his clan of Mandalorians.”

 

“All right. I’m not in a position to turn down such a generous offer.” The newly dubbed Able gratefully said. He then pulled off his left arm’s armor, and allowed Rahm to administer the cure.

 

Once the cure was fully administered, Able then said, “So, I take it that you and the rest of the Jedi have a plan for taking back the galaxy?”

 

“Not just us, Able, but several Imperial senators, defecting and hidden Imperial military officials, a bunch of rebel cells, and the bulk of the Mandalorians, just to name a few as well. Right now, we’re going to head to Ponemah Terminal in order to rescue an imprisoned Five-Oh-First Clone from imprisonment on a Separatist dreadnought.” X2 said in encouragement, before he continued, saying, “After that, we’re heading to Lah’mu for a summit that’s going to commence in less than four weeks so that we can determine the Shadow Alliance’s next move.”

 

“Good. If most of the Clone Troopers are on Sidious’s side, not to mention all of the Dark Jedi that are under his command, then we’ll need all of the help that we can get.” Able gratefully said. As the three fighters entered the ARC-170 Starfighter, he asked, “So, how did you guys manage to find me, as I bet that it was hard since General Shaak Ti was my last commanding officer?”

 

“Actually, it’s a long story. We’ll tell you once we get into hyperspace.” Rahm said, before he added, “And, Shaak Ti is still alive on Felucia, and she, along with a Padawan named Maris Brood, is training the locals in the ways of the Force so that they don’t descend into darkness like so many others.”

 

Before Able could say anything in shock at this knowledge, X2 said, “Don’t worry, Able. You’ll probably see her again before the summit begins in twenty-four days.” With that, the three-man starfighter quickly exited Lubang Minor’s atmosphere, and made the jump into hyperspace to Ponemah Terminal.

 

_One Day Later_

_Twenty-Three Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah’mu_

_On Anzat_

_Within Anzat Spaceport_

Akku Seii II could hardly believe that he was back here, as it had been many decades back in his time, since that blasted Celestial Iluvatar had sent him, the last members of his company, and his friends over seventy years to the height of the Empire’s rule in order to prepare the galaxy for the battle of a thousand lifetimes.

 

He briefly wondered how his company was faring in the Unknown Regions, but quickly pushed these thoughts down, as he knew that, once he completed his accursed mission here, he could communicate with them via the Holonet.

 

As he exited his CloakShape fighter, he saw a human with a cybernetic left eye and a prosthetic right leg that he immediately recognized as the Jedi Master known only as Tholme. The aged Jedi nodded in welcoming the scion of the Seii name home, and walked away to a speeder that he had parked nearby.

 

As he seemingly struggled with activating the landspeeder, the Anzati nonchalantly walked towards his father’s old acquaintance.

 

Once he entered Tholme’s landspeeder, he whispered to Tholme, “How did you know that I was coming?”

 

“The Force provides for all who are willing to listen to its mysteries, my friend.” Tholme enigmatically said before he turned on the vehicle, and the two men began their journey to Akku Seii II’s home within the plains of Anzat.

 

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_Outside Akku Seii I’s Home_

_5 Kilometers From Anzat Spaceport_

 

The landspeeder slowly came to a halt as the two occupants of the vessel arrived at their destination, and the Jedi and Mandalorian exited to see the Neti Jedi Master, T’Ra Saa, who was Tholme’s longtime confidant and lover, awaiting them.

 

Smiling at the return of her lover, she then turned to Akku, and politely said, “It is good to see you, Akku Seii II. We’ve been expecting you for some time.” 

 

“Which of you had a vision of my arrival?” Akku simply said as he felt a familiar tingling sensation appear on his neck, which only meant one thing. Sighing in defeat, he turned his head to see his father, Akku Seii I, holding a blade in front of him.

 

Knowing that avoiding his father was inevitable, he politely said to the elder Anzati, “Hello, father. It’s been a long time.”

 

“Indeed it has, my son. I see that your younger self was truthful in his tale of you coming from the future. Even with Tholme and T’Ra confirming his story, I had my doubts of his sincerity. It would seem, however, that he was right, as your younger self was never so formal with me before he left his training to become a Mandalorian.” The elder Akku said to his son.

 

“Yes, well, age, experience, and good friends, have changed me for the better in so many ways.” The younger Akku said before he awkwardly asked, “Could you please lower the blade from my neck, as it’s rather awkward to be speaking with you as if it was our last conversation?”

 

“Of course, son.” Akku II said in compliance, before he attempted to strike at his son, only for him to find it parried by a smaller _beskar_ blade from the Mandalorian’s gauntlets. The older Anzati then lowered his blade, and said in a complimentary tone, “Well done. The Akku that I knew would have tried to kill me for such an attack, but it seems that you’ve mellowed down with age.”

 

“Right.” The younger Anzati grimly said before he cut to the chase, saying, “Can we go inside, as I came here to ask for all of your help in a… big operation that’s about to go down against the Empire?”

 

Catching everyone’s attention with that request, the elder Akku nodded, and the four people entered his home.

 

_Two Hours Later_

 

“Well, I’ll certainly say this much, you and this ‘Tau Palpatine’ certainly don’t think small when you commit to a job.” Tholme jokingly said as he took a final sip of his tea, processing what he had just learned: Tau Palpatine, an actual descendent of Darth Sidious, and his crew, including Akku Seii II, had been sent back in time by a Celestial, and were tasked with preparing the galaxy for invasion by an extragalactic species called the Yuuzhan Vong. The also had to contend with an enigmatic Columi-like race called the Nephilim, the Killiks, several evil Celestials and their abominations in the form of the Cult of the Dark Ainur, and the infamous Force-hating group known as the Knights of Olpaka. And, all the while, they had to reform the Galactic Empire into a stronger Galactic Alliance than the one of Akku’s time, and eliminating the Sith through either their utter destruction, or reform into something better and more noble.

 

“Indeed. Edaan must have rubbed off on all of us in more ways than we thought.” Akku said as he reminisced over all of the battles and journeys that he and the original great-great-grandson of Darth Sidious had been on before the latter’s final act of selflessness.

 

“So, you came here to recruit the two of us for your Shadow Alliance, then?” Tholme inquired, and then said, “What could you have in mind for a strike against the Empire that you would want with two old Jedi like us?”

 

“We have a summit planned for the various rebel cells and Shadow Alliance groups in order for them to unite, and Tau and his friends have a plan for dealing a heavy blow to the Empire, which is going to try and ambush us in one fell stroke.” Akku explained, which made the three other fighters put down their cups in disapproval.

 

“And you think that two more Jedi can turn the tide against the military might of the Sith’s empire?” T’Ra said in disappointment at what she perceived to be shortsightedness of the warrior that was sitting across from her.

 

“We’re gathering as many allies as we can in order to put up a good fight, and we need as many Jedi as we can. That includes Quinlan Vos, who I’m willing to bet you know where he and his family are hiding.” Akku said, before he continued, saying, “I know that Master Saa is adept at Battle Meditation, which can counter Sidious’s skills, and both you and your former Padawan were masters of dueling and espionage. We could use all of your skills when the Empire comes for us.”

 

The younger Anzati then passionately implored, “Look, I used to be all about survival and looking after myself, but I met the people that would eventually form my mercenary company, and I grew up. Then I met Edaan Palpatine, and he changed me for keeps, and now we have a chance to set the galaxy right before it’s too late, and save more lives than ever before in the process. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m going to give everything that I’ve got to help my friends succeed, because, without them, I’d be nothing.”

 

After a moment of looking at his son with a blank expression, the elder Akku proudly said, “Well, you may not be a good assassin, but you have the heart of a true warrior of honor. I will gather my students, and we will join you at this summit, as it will decide whether or not the galaxy will be a place that the Anzati people can survive in.”  
  


The younger Akku looked astonished at the revelation, and he gratefully nodded to his father in appreciation.

 

“Well, since you seem so supportive of your son’s efforts to bring back freedom to the galaxy, and because now T’Ra and I will soon be without a home, how can I say no to this offer of an alliance?” Tholme wittily said as he stood up from his seat, and began to gather his effects for the group’s journey to Lah’mu.

 

As he did so, he said, “I’ll contact Quinlan and Khaleen, and see if they can join us at the summit, because it sounds like that we’ll need every sword that we can get for this battle.”

 

“Well, it appears that you could use all of the help that you can get if you’re going to face the Sith head on. Count me in.” T’Ra said in support of her lover’s decision to aid the younger Akku’s friends on their quest.

 

“I cannot thank you enough for your support.” Akku Seii II said in gratitude, and turned to face his father, and said, “I need to get to Ponemah Terminal for our next mission. You guys can head to the Erso’s farm on Lah’mu before the summit begins. Stay alive until we meet again.” With that, he and Tholme headed back to the landspeeder, and made their way to Anzat Spaceport, where the younger Anzati’s CloakShape fighter awaited him.

 

As Akku entered the ship, he said to the human Jedi Master, “May Iluvatar protect us all in the next few weeks.”

 

“And may the Force be with you as well.” Tholme said in reply, before he headed back to his host’s home in order to help him prepare his students for their journey to the distant Outer Rim world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends a slightly short chapter of my story. So, what did you guys think of it? Did you enjoy the Expanded Universe characters and references that I included in this chapter, because I enjoyed writing them very much? I hope that you guys are staying with me, because the next chapter will include Tau, Butch, and Jax’s crew head to Dweem in order to recruit the Iron Knights. After that, the rest of their allies will head to Ponemah Terminal in order to rescue Kix from Separatist captivity. How it will go out will be quite a ride to enjoy. So, what did you do today? I did some homework, and went on a campus tour of a nearby college that I will start going to in the Fall. Both were enjoyable. Well, I guess that that’s it for today on the day of March 15, 2018. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	34. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone. How are you doing on the night of March 16, 2018? I’m a bit tired, as I did some volunteering for a few hours, mowed my parents’ lawn, and did a bit of homework. So, please forgive me if I don’t write as much tonight as I usually do every day. Have you guys read any good fanfictions, because, if so, let me know, and I’ll check them out, as I enjoy reading good stories? So, when we last left our heroes, they had succeeded in recruiting the marooned Clone Trooper Able, along with Akku Seii I, his students, and Jedi Masters Tholme and T’Ra Saa. Fair warning, Squasher gave me a brilliant idea for the Lah’mu Summit, and it will leave many readers shocked tremendously. Anyway, Tholme also agreed to get into contact with his last surviving pupil, EU-favorite, along with one of my personal favorite character-driven arcs, Quinlan Vos, along with his wife, Khaleen Hentz, and their son, Korto Vos. Whether or not they will join the Shadow Alliance is anyone’s guess. Oh, and, I promised you that Tau Palpatine and Jax Pavan would meet the Iron Knights of Dweem in this chapter, and that’s what you’ll get. Afterwards, we’ll have the rest of the Shadow Alliance’s core members storm the Obrexta III to rescue Kix from Confederate captivity, and recover the ship’s data core. Once that’s done, the group will convene on Lah’mu in order to prepare for the Summit and Siege of Lah’mu. So, prepare for a lot of mediaeval talk from the Iron Knights, as that’s how they talk. Fair warning, It’ll take me a while to write their speech patterns, so it may take a while for me to get this chapter done. Just wanted to give you a heads-up. With all of that said, let’s get started. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me. 
> 
> (March 18, 2018 Addendum.) Good afternoon, everyone. I’m so sorry to add an addendum to this chapter, but I’ve got some things that I want to share with you. So, as of today, I went to church, which was pretty typical of me, but something even bigger happened to me today. I saw the hit movie “I Can Only Imagine”, and, to put it bluntly, it had me in tears by the end, as it was just so darn powerful and inspirational. It showed the origins of the great Christian band called MercyMe, and the origins of Bart Millard and what he had to go through in order to get to where he is now. I need to be honest with you guys, that movie touched my soul in such a positive way, that I can’t even describe it. I hope- nay- I pray that as many people as possible will see that movie, as that is the kind of movie that young people, all across the world, not just in the United States of America, need to see, as it showed God’s healing powers at work in so many people. I could use some healing as well, as I did some things that I’m not proud of, small things, but still, things that I wish that I could take back. And, not to get too specific, but there are people in my life that could use God’s all-encompassing love right now for a variety of reasons, so I beg of you to pray for them, as they need God’s love, especially in these difficult times for so many people.

_One Day Later_

_Twenty-Two Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah’mu_

_In the Nal Hutta System_

_On Nar Shaddaa_

_Within the Red Light District_

“A ‘Shadow Alliance’, Master?” Quinlan Vos skeptically said to the hologram of his former Jedi Master, who finished recounting to the Kiffar Jedi Master the information that Akku Seii II had given them from his trip to Anzat.

 

“ _Indeed, Quinlan. T’Ra, Akku, his students, and I are preparing to head to Lah’mu for their summit within the hour, so that we can have a say on what this organization’s next move should be._ ” Tholme then said before he continued, saying, “ _If what Akku’s son said was true, then this is our best chance of stopping the Sith from unleashing any more destruction upon the galaxy, not to mention the Yuuzhan Vong and even worse enemies that are coming._ ”

 

“That’s assuming that this so-called descendent of Palpatine was telling you the truth, Tholme.” Khaleen Hentz, the wife of Quinlan, and mother of their son, Korto Vos, said, interjecting herself into the conversation, before turning to face her husband, and playfully said, “Korto’s _finally_ asleep, no thanks to you.”

 

She then turned back to face Tholme, and skeptically said, “How do you even know that this guy was telling you the truth, and that it’s not a con to bring as many of us together as he can for the Sith? It all sounds of a setup to me, and I should know, since I used to do those for a living.”

 

“ _Because we had a visit from the present version of Akku II, who told us all about Edaan Palpatine’s battles, as well as about the war in the Arda System, who came about a year before the future version of Akku came to speak with us. The distinctions between the two of them were obvious to even the most oblivious of people._ ” Tholme said, which did nothing to put the woman’s mind at ease.

 

“Okay, let’s say that, by some miracle, this ‘Tau Palpatine’ did come from the future, and did encounter so many of these threats that are coming down upon us. Why should we trust a man that admitted to coming from the same bloodline as the Sith Lord that destroyed the Republic and Jedi Order? And, what happens if his harebrained scheme of his fails, and we all end up dead before this summit ends? What happens to the fate of the galaxy then with the bulk of the remaining Jedi gone?” Khaleen countered, before Quinlan calmed her down by putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

 

The Kiffar Jedi then asked of his former master, “What does this Tau want from us, as I won’t lead troops into battle again. Not after the Clone War and the deaths that it caused?”

 

“ _He needs us for the ground portion of the battle at Lah’mu in order to help drive back the Sith’s army, because, according to the younger Akku, we’re two of the best duelists in the Jedi Order. Afterwards, he wants us to maintain a spy network for his Shadow Alliance alongside this ‘Fulcrum’, so that if one network goes down, the rest can still gather information for his cause._ ” Tholme responded, which made Quinlan smirk at the amount of this Jedi’s faith in his dueling abilities, especially since his techniques often led him close to the Dark Side, especially the forbidden variant of Form VII, which was called Vaapad. 

 

“Well, at least he knows what we’re good at when it comes to espionage.” Quinlan jokingly said before he turned serious, and asked, “What about my family? I can’t just leave them alone while I go gallivanting about to battle again, and I’m sure as all of the Nine Corellian Hells not going to drag them into a war zone, especially not one where Vader and Sidious are supposed to show up at.”

 

“Whoa! Hold on there, Quin. If you’re going into a suicide mission, then you can bet all of your credits that I’m coming with you, as you’ll need me there to keep you alive through piloting the _Skorp-Ion_.” Khaleen ardently said, not willing to let the man that she dearly loved face death all by himself.

 

After chuckling at his wife’s impulsiveness and fierce desire to protect her family from the dangers that they faced, Quinlan said, “I should have known that you’d want to come with me as I head into battle again. But, what about Korto? We can’t just leave him on the Smuggler’s Moon alone while we relive our glory days?”

 

“ _He can stay with his mother on the_ Skorp-Ion _until the battle begins. He’ll be safer there than on the ground, where an army of Imperials will be trying to kill us all._ ” Tholme proposed, which both parents reluctantly agreed with.

 

“Fine. How many groups are going to be at this summit?” Quinlan asked, wanting to get an idea of how many people he would have to work with.

 

“ _You’ll have to see for yourself if you want to believe it, Quinlan. I have to go, as we’re all ready to leave Anzat to head to Lah’mu. May the Force be with you, my former Padawan._ ” Tholme said as he ended his Holonet connection, and left the couple alone to plan their departure.

 

“Well, Quin, what now?” Khaleen said to her husband as she began to pack her clothes and equipment for their journey to the distant Outer Rim world of Lah’mu.

 

“We give Korto a good night’s rest before we head out, as the summit doesn’t begin for another twenty-two days.” Quinlan said before his expression turned serious, and regretfully said, “I’m sorry for dragging you into another mess that you shouldn’t have to be involved in.”

 

“Don’t give me that _poodoo_ , Quin. I knew what I was getting myself into when I defected from Dooku’s bogus cause to follow my own heart. I’d follow you into Chaos itself if it meant that our family would stay together.” Khaleen said in a comforting and authoritative tone, which helped put Quinlan’s mind at ease.

 

She then suggestively said to the Kiffar Jedi, “So, since this may be our last night in hiding, what do you say that we make the most of it?”

 

Knowing that it was Khaleen’s way of blowing off stress, and that this might be the last time that they would have time alone to themselves, Quinlan agreed, and the couple went into their room, where they fervently made love to each other as if it was their last day alive in the galaxy.

 

_Meanwhile, Within the Dweem System_

_On the_ _Arakyd Industries_ Helix _-class light interceptor_ Laranth/Corsair

 

“Is this normal for Tau, Butch?” Den curiously said to the reformed Tuk’ata hound as Tau was meditating in order to search for the purported location of the heretical Jedi sect known as the Iron Knights.

 

The Tuk’ata hound merely nodded its head in confirmation as a reply, which made the Sullustian sigh in exasperation at the insanity of this mission that he was on, as well as the fact that he was talking to an intelligent Sith beast that, under normal circumstances, should have been put down at once.

 

“Why does all of the crazy stuff happen to us?” Den despondently said as he saw I-Five walk down the hall, and the Human Replica Droid rolled his eyes at Den’s complaining of the situation.

 

“Don’t start again, Den. We’re lucky that the Empire hasn’t found us yet.” I-Five exasperatingly said before he adopted a deep-thinking expression, and said, “Although, now that I think about it, they’re probably waiting for all of our forces to gather before they strike, so that they can eradicate the bulk of their enemies, and set an example for the others.”

 

“Which is why we need to let Tau search for Master Aquinos in quiet, as he needs to concentrate if he’s going to search the entire planet in such a short time.” Magash said, motioning with her hands for her two friends to stop talking.

 

“And this is why I miss the old days.” Den muttered to himself before he saw Tau stand up from his meditative position, and take in a deep breath in order to regain his energy from searching the entire planet for the many Jedi that lived down there.

 

“I’ve found them. They’re in the Everest Mountains.” Tau said as he turned to face the ship’s crew, and then said to Den, “You’d better get your bearings ready, Den, because, from here on out, things are going to get even crazier.”

 

“Of course, as if a Jedi from the future had arrived in this timeline, not to mention an intergalactic invasion by an entire species of conquerors was happening in forty years.” Den muttered as Tau chuckled at the former reporter’s cynicism over the way that the buildup for all-out war was turning out.

 

Tau then said over his comlink, “Jax, the Iron Knights are in the Everest Mountains. Take us in, and open a channel to the mountains so that we can-”

 

“Hold that thought, Tau, because we’re getting a transmission from a person named… ‘Luxum?’” Jax said over the _Laranth_ ’s intercom, which caught the futuristic Jedi’s attention.

 

“Luxum?” Tau repeated, remembering how the female Iron Knight fell to the Dark Side after the destruction of Hosk Station and Kalarba during the Yuuzhan Vong War, and, along with IG-179, a former Magnagaurd that belonged to General Grievous, waged their own war against the Yuuzhan Vong before their destruction before the Yuuzhan Vong were subsequently defeated by the Galactic Alliance.

 

Shaking himself out of his stupor, he said, “I’ll be right there.” Immediately, Tau rushed to the cockpit of the interceptor, and said to Jax, who was in the pilot’s seat, “Patch her through.”

 

“Patching her through now.” Jax said.

 

After a few seconds, a strong female digitized voice came through, and said, “ _Thy have sensed your probe through the Force, and my master beckons you to meet with him. Transmitting landing coordinates now._ ” 

 

“Acknowledged, Luxum. We look forward to the audience with Master Aquinos. We have quite the story to tell you guys.”  Tau enthusiastically said as the transmission ended, and the Laranth received the set of coordinates. With that done, the interceptor headed into the snowy mountains of Dweem, and, after about twenty minutes of flying, the ship entered a hidden hangar that could only belong to the Iron Knights.

 

As soon as the ship landed, the three Jedi on the ship could sense ten powerful presences in the Force await them outside of the ship. Magash said to Jax, “I assume that this is our welcoming party, Master?”

 

“That would be a logical conclusion, apprentice.” Jax said as he put on his cold-weather gear, with Tau and Magash following suit.

 

Once they finished equipping themselves for the cold, Tau said to Jax, “Hey, you mind if we have I-Five and Butch join us? I want to show the Iron Knights that we aren’t Orthodox Jedi so that we can get on their good side, and nothing won’t show that like a reformed Tuk’ata hound and a droid that can be felt through the Force?”

 

“Okay…” Jax hesitatingly said before he continued, saying, ‘I understand the I-Five part, but why would you want to bring a Sith hound, despite him being reformed and a servant of the Light now?”

 

“Because, Jax, Butch will go with me wherever I go, and I want him to be friendly with our future allies.” Tau explained to his comrade, which left Jax baffled at the futuristic Jedi’s reasoning. Nevertheless, thankfully, he decided not to press the issue, and merely shrugged his shoulders in reply.

 

“All right. I think that we’ve kept our hosts waiting long enough. Let’s go out and greet them before they decide to storm our ship.” Tau jokingly said, which made Magash chuckle at the older Jedi’s attempts at humor.

 

With that said, the three Jedi entered the ship’s common area, and Tau told I-Five and Butch, “All right, you two. You’ll be joining us for the mission, so be on your best behavior. That especially means you, Butch, so no jumping on anyone and licking them affectionately. All you’ll taste is metal from the Iron Knights.” At hearing that, Butch whimpered in disappointment at the warning, which left I-Five feeling sorry for the hound, and patted his head in sympathy. 

 

*

 

“Thy does not like this, Master Aquinos. Too many disasters can befall us out here. You should be safe within our fortress, not awaiting these mysterious guests.” The Iron Knight who called himself Illum worriedly said to his teacher and friend, the Sunesi Jedi Master known as Aquinos, who was the Iron Knights’ teacher that was excommunicated from the Jedi Order for his alleged heresy.

 

“I know, Illum, but the transmissions that we’ve intercepted indicate that these Jedi are planning to fight the Empire, and we need to know whether we can trust them. Plus, they found us when none of the Empire’s forces could after over four years of searching, not to mention that one of the Jedi has a similar presence to the former Chancellor, so they deserve our full and unwarranted attention.” Aquinos said in order to calm down his best student’s fears for everyone’s safety.

 

Before the argument could go any further, the ramp for the _Helix_ -class light interceptor began to open up, and the Ten Iron Knights that guarded the ship stood at attention. While Aquinos breathed in his anxiety, and let it go with his exhale.

 

In a matter of seconds, he saw the five individuals, well, four, unless you counted the Sith Tuk’ata hound that followed the six-foot bark-haired human Jedi with two lightsabers equipped to his belt that seemed to be around his early twenties exit the ship. Aquinos took stock of the three other individuals that walked towards him: a black-haired Jedi that looked the same age, a female Zabrak-Human hybrid with a lightsaber as well, and a human male with a blaster equipped to his holster. Each of the visitors exited the shuttle, and walked up to Aquinos in a slow manner in order to avoid being skewered by the twelve Jedi that surrounded them.

 

Wondering just who these visitors were, the Sunesi Jedi Master humbly said to them, “It is a relief that there are more surviving Jedi out there in the galaxy after the Republic became the Empire. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”

 

Before the bark-haired Jedi spoke, he bowed to Aquinos, surprising the elder Jedi, as he, not in the slightest, expect a man who likely heard ghost stories about his work act so humbly in front of him.

 

The young man then said, “It is an honor to meet you, Master Aquinos. Your work in training a new generation of Jedi is incredible, and an inspiration to all, even if they cannot see the beauty of it.” He then rose from his bowing, and offered his hand to the exiled Jedi, who took it in a gesture of appreciation and new respect for the man’s sincerity towards him.

 

“Thank you, young Jedi. It appears that you know more about me than I know about you. To whom am I hosting?” Aquinos graciously said.

 

After chuckling at the elderly man’s kind attitude, he turned to his friends, and said, pointing to one after the other as he introduced them to their host, “This Jax Pavan, and the young woman who is standing next to him is Magash Drashi. The other ‘man’ is the noble and heroic droid known as I-5YQ, but he prefers to go by the name of I-Five. And, last but not least, the Tuk’ata hound that is so patiently waiting to meet you is my closest friend, Butch. Butch, get over here and greet this nice man.”

 

At the end of the man’s sentence, Butch barked in joy as he ran to his master’s side, and slowly licked Aquinos’s finger in a gesture of affection, further baffling the elderly Sunesi, as he could clearly sense the Sith beast’s affiliation with the Light Side of the Force, despite its Dark Side origins.

 

Dragite, one of the eleven Iron Knights that was present, turned to face I-Five, and incredulously said, “Doth thou try to deceive us by calling this man a droid, when he can clearly be sensed through the Force?”

 

“It’s a long story. And, I believe that our leader has not identified himself, which will leave you all quite speechless, and wanting more questions.” I-Five replied with a hint of a conspiratorial tone in it, which made Jax and the as of yet unidentified man roll their eyes at the droid’s desire to rush things along.

 

“Fine.” The group’s leader reluctantly said before he formally introduced himself, nervously saying, “I am… Jedi Knight Tau Palpatine. I am, with great reluctance, the great-great-grandson of the current scion of the Naboo’s House of Palpatine.”

 

At the mention of Tau’s lineage, he suddenly found himself facing ten lightsaber pikes surrounding him, and he nervously chuckled before he said, “Well, I guess that I should be used to that reaction, given how Viridian’s friends acted when he told them my full name, not to mention all of the transgressions that my ancestor did, and will do, unless he is stopped.”

 

“Wait, stop.” Aquinos said, before he sternly said, “Everyone, stand down! That’s an order!”

 

“But, Master, this vile heir of the Emperor is a threat to the Jedi Order’s very existence! He must be dealt with before the Empire learns of our location, and death comes for us all.” Luxum protested before Aquinos shook his head in disapproval of his pupil’s actions.

 

“No. I can sense that he is not like his ancestor. And, besides, why would he reveal his lineage to us in such a blatant manner unless he was an actual Jedi Knight, like he said.” Aquinos disappointingly said to one of his best students, before he turned to face Tau, and said, “Why have you and the crew of Jax Pavan come here, Jedi Palpatine?”

 

“We need you help with a coming war against the apocalypse itself, Master Aquinos.” Tau grimly said before he suddenly asked, “Can we go inside, please, because I do not want to stand in the subzero temperatures, even with this gear on? Plus, I’m getting tired of explaining the stakes, as I really hope that I can only explain it once.”

 

“Of course, Tau.” Aquinos politely said before he led the way, with his eleven Jedi pupils and five guests following him, with Tau beginning to explain how he was sent back in time by the Celestials in order to prepare the galaxy for so many upcoming attacks from so many ancient and modern threats.

_Two Hours Later_

_On Ponemah Terminal_

_In the Sea Of Sand_

_Inside the_ Providence _-Class_ _Dreadnought_ Obrexta III _’s Bridge_

“Well, this reminds us of the old days, doesn’t it, Trace?” Climber enthusiastically said to his teammate from Ion Team as they blasted away at seven rusty B2 Super Battle Droids, which, due to a lack of maintenance, did not last long against the two highly trained Clone Commandos and their _Cuy'val Dar_ teacher, who quickly decimated the droids into their basic components.

 

“Yeah, makes me wish that the rest of the team was here with us.” Trace sadly said remembering how the corrupted Anakin Skywalker had callously killed them just for following their conscience over evil orders.

 

Climber immediately caught on to the despair that his squad mate was feeling, and said, “I know. But, we have to carry on, if not for ourselves, then for their memory, so that their sacrifice won’t be in vain.”

 

“Yeah. I know, brother.” Trace said as he began to search a hidden supply room for the imprisoned Clone Trooper CT-6116, more commonly known as “Kix”, before saying, “This room’s empty too. Guess that the command bridge’s clear, too.”

 

“Well, we’d better call Kal and tell him the news before…” Climber said before he noticed part of a torn-off wall, and began to investigate. Seeing a transparisteel glass wall behind the durasteel wall, he called out, “Hey, guys! I think I found something!”

 

Going over to him to investigate, Trace and Mij saw what Climber was pointing at, and the three men began to rip apart the remaining wall, revealing a stasis pod that contained a Clone Trooper with a tattoo on the left side of his scalp, Aurebesh letters that spelled "a good droid is a dead one."

 

Recognizing their find, Mij immediately pulled out his comlink, and said into it, “Rex, Jesse, Ahsoka, you’d all better have found that data core, because we found who we’re looking for in the command bridge.”

 

“ _You found him?!?_ ” Rex joyously said before he said, “ _Ahsoka, Jesse, and I’ll be there in ten minutes, as Ordo and Etain just got the data core. Rex, out._ ”

 

“Well, it won’t be long now, Kix.” Mij gratefully said to the imprisoned Clone Trooper, thankful to the _Manda_ that this mission would go off without a single hitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends a good chapter of my story. What did you guys think, as it took me a measly three days to write it, as today is still March 18, 2018? Did you like how I portrayed Quinlan, Khaleen, Tholme, and Aquinos and his Iron Knights, as I wanted to keep them as close to the original characterizations of the Expanded Universe versions of the first two Jedi? So, how are your evenings doing? Mine are going well, as I have a measly two days until Spring Break is over, but I had a good break, and that’s what matters. Oh, and I’ve calmed down from watching “I Can Only Imagine”, so I’m no longer crying like a little boy. I am expecting three hit Star Wars Xbox video games through the mail very soon, which will make me very happy. Well, I hope that you enjoy, as the next chapter will have Kix awakening in the presence of several of his friends, including Jesse, whose presence will be explained then, along with Aquinos getting up to speed on the fate of the galaxy, and how he and his disciples will be needed for the Siege of Lah’mu. Well, I guess that that’s it for this chapter. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	35. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone. How are you doing on the afternoon of March 19, 2018? I'm very well right now, as I got two great Xbox video games through the mail, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, and Star Wars: Jedi Academy. I also got two good books, one about the late Billy Graham, and a book on politics and the establishment, which I don't need to elaborate on in order to avoid offending anyone. So, yesterday, I said some pretty deep things about me, and I hope that they will have a good impact on others. Anyway, I am so grateful that you guys are staying with me for this long, because this chapter will have Kix awaken from his stasis prison, and have Aquinos decide whether or not he and his Iron Knights will join the growing Shadow Alliance. Well, I guess that I'd better get started, as I only have about eight hours before I have to go to bed for community college tomorrow. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me. Oh, before I forget, I just saw that lordtrayus updated his Order of the Sith Lords: Rule of Two, and I must say that his interpretation of Darth Bane's Sith order is nothing short of a stroke of genius. I encourage each of you to read and review his work, as you will not be disappointed.

_Ten Minutes Later_

"All right. We're here." CT-5597, more commonly named "Jesse", a late ARC Trooper for the Grand Army of the Republic before Order Sixty Six was carried out by the brainwashed clones, and was quickly followed by Ahsoka, Rex, and former Ghost Company Clone Sergeant Boil, who each left the Republic after Order Sixty-Six was executed.

"Good. We've just begun to defrost Kix, and he'll be grateful to see some familiar faces when he awakens." Trace said as he watched Mij monitor the stasis pod's controls while the chamber slowly opened.

Soon enough, after a handful of minutes that seemed to drag on for eternity, the chamber fully opened, and everyone saw CT-6116 gasp for air, as he was thrusted into the present day after four accursed years of imprisonment. Before he could fall to the ground, he was caught by Rex and Jesse, the two of whom gently lowered him to the ground as the former firmly but gently said, " _Udessi_ , soldier. It's all right, you're safe."

"R-Rex? I-Is that you?" Kix struggled to get out as he blinked rapidly in order to try to recover his blurry vision.

"Not just him, old friend." Jesse said as his blurry image came into Kix's view, and an unidentified man injected something into Kix's neck vein, which made him wince in pain.

" _Kriff_! What was that?!" Kix angrily asked before he found his strength and vision returning, and, as he sat up, he saw his Five-Oh-First teammates Rex and Jesse, along with one of his former commanding officers before she left the Jedi Order, Ahsoka Tano, Ghost Company's Boil, and the Mandalorian that he recognized as his unofficial tutor in being a combat medic, Mij Gilamar.

Perplexed tremendously, he said, "Wh-what are all of you guys doing here? I thought… Wait. Where's General Skywalker? What about the War?"

At the mention of Anakin, each person had an expression of sadness or anger on their faces, which made Kix afraid for the outcome, as he said, "Tell me… how long have I been in Separatist captivity?"

"It's been a little over four years, old friend." Mij sadly said, which shocked Kix immensely, as he could not believe that he was held a prisoner for so long.

Before he could say anything else, Ahsoka somberly said, "We'd better get you back to the _Second Chance_ first, Kix, as it'll be a long story, and… so much has happened that you'll need a couple of trained professionals in order to help cope with what's happened."

Guessing that what he uncovered about the Kaminoans' so-called "inhibitor chips" came true, and that the Chancellor was heavily involved in the attack on the Jedi, he correctly guessed, "Commander, did Palpatine activate Order Sixty-Six?"

Ahsoka looked down and said, "Among other things, old friend. Suffice it to say that the galaxy that we knew is long gone, and it's a much darker place than you remembered."

Not understanding what she meant, but trusting in his former commanding officer's to tell him what happened when they got to their own ship, Kix merely nodded in acceptance, and slowly followed the group to the outside of the _Obrexta III_ , where several ships of various designs awaited them less than a kilometer away.

They then went to the CEC YT-1300 freighter, and Kix saw a group of various species, including a heavily scarred and tattooed female humanoid from a species that he did not recognize, an Anzati Mandalorian, an Iskalloni dressed as a medic, and several humans. Two of the humans he immediately recognized as Jedi Masters Rahm Kota and A'Sharad Hett, while the others each bore either a lightsaber or intricate sword.

Going over to the Jedi, with his voice laced with relief, he said, "Generals, it's good to see you. I was afraid that my brothers wiped out your entire Order. How many of you are still alive? And, just as important, can someone tell me what the _kark_ happened over the last four years?"

Before either Jedi could speak, they heard their holonet communicators go off, and they activated them to reveal Kal Skirata and Bardan Jusik appear, and they appeared to be worried about something.

" _Sorry to interrupt the reunion, but the Empire is closing in on our location, and we need to get our_ shebs _in the sky if we want to escape before it's too late. All the boys are loaded, and we're going to prepare for launch in one minute._ " Kal brusquely said before he closed his comlink, and Bardan sighed at his adopted father's impatience.

The former Jedi then gratefully said to Kix, " _It's good to see you, Kix. Ahsoka told us a lot about you, and they've been very good things, mostly about your medical skills and compassion for everyone. We'll have to compare notes after we reach the rendezvous point. Stay alive._ " With that, he too closed his comlink, leaving Kix with even more questions that he needed answered.

"Okay. What is this 'empire' that Sergeant Skirata was talking about? Did it-" Kix began to say before he saw an advanced R-series droid roll by, uttering in Droidspeak that "Imperial fighters" had found them, and that Celebion and Ventis were already at the guns in order to hold them off once they took flight.

"Well, that was fast." The Anzati said as he and Ahsoka rushed to the cockpit in order to activate the ship's systems, while everyone went to what Kix assumed to be their assigned positions within the ship, except for Kix himself, and Mij, who stayed with him at the nearby couch.

The Mandalorian then told Kix, "You'd better hold onto something, as this ride's about to get pretty bumpy."

"All right. But I still want my answers when we enter hyperspace." Kix ardently replied, with Mij nodding his head in consent.

_Ten Minutes Later_

_Above Ponemah Terminal's Atmosphere_

_Within the_ Remember the Grand Army

"Get those lasers functioning, again, Gregor! Our shields are taking a beating, and we're only two minutes away from entering hyperspace." Doom responded as he struggled to keep the SoruSuub Luxury 5000 on course with the rest of the Shadow Alliance's makeshift fleet while six V-Wings Fighters.

"Cool your jets, Doom. We'll just transfer the excess power from the starboard engines to the guns, and… one, two, three… There! Lasers are restored to full power. Take it away, Fordo and Jet." Gregor confidently said as the two lasers within the ship began firing at a rapid pace, eradicating four of the Empire's pursuers with ease, while the remaining two fled the yacht's line of fire in order to attempt to regroup.

"Yeah! That's the way that the Grand Army of the Republic does it!" Gregor enthusiastically said as he saw the rest of the Shadow Alliance's ships jump into hyperspace, with the Luxury 5000 following in a matter of moments, just before a _Victory_ -class Star Destroyer named the _Iron Fist_ could get a tractor beam lock on them.

_Two Hours Later_

_On Dweem_

_Within the Iron Knights' Everest Mountains Hideout_

"This… this tale that you have told us is past ludicrous, Tau Palpatine!" Illum defiantly stated as Tau finished his explanation of how he arrived from the future in order to counterbalance several threats, some of them belonging to the supernatural, while others were beyond the galaxy's definition of space and time.

"Oh, believe me, Illum, my friends and I found ourselves stupefied when we received the reports from Kal Skirata." I-Five sympathetically said, before he continued, saying, "But, regardless if you believe his explanation, consider this: We found you when not even the best of the Empire's Jedi hunters could, and your master no doubt felt a great disturbance in the Force over two years ago, which is when Tau and his crew arrived at the world of Arda. Not to mention that Master Aquinos has been listening intently to this entire conversation, which indicates his willingness to consider our tale as true."

Before any of the Iron Knights could create a futile protest of this irrefutable logic, Aquinos raised his hand in order to stay anyone's arguments, and gently said to Tau, "I believe you, Tau Palpatine. I can sense your devotion to the Light Side of the Force, and to this 'Iluvatar' that you spoke of. I also know that your plans to rebuild the Jedi Order and galaxy into something greater is a noble cause, and I would be honored to assist you in this endeavor. That is, if you will have an old geezer like me."

Tau, grateful for this offer of an alliance, nodded his head in gratitude and acceptance of Aquinos's words. He then said, "The Shadow Alliance would be honored to have such a respected elder among our ranks."

He then turned to face the Iron Knights, and said to them, "I sincerely hope that you will join us as well, as the Shadow Alliance would greatly benefit from such noble warriors such as yourselves."

After each of the twenty Iron Knights in the conference room looked at each other with unreadable faces, they seemed to reach a silent agreement, and Illum said, "So be it, Jedi Palpatine. If Master Aquinos wishes to rejoin the fight against the Sith, and all of the blighted dangers that this galaxy will soon face, then it is our duty to accompany him, as we each swore an oath to continue the ways of the Jedi, even as the Order risks extinction."

"Good. We'll need all of the help that we can get for the upcoming summit at Lah'mu in about three weeks, as we know that the Empire will try to eradicate us all in one fell swoop." Magash said, making Aquinos raise an eyebrow over that particular detail.

"So… You know that the Empire is coming to your summit, and decided to go ahead with it anyway?" Aquions skeptically said, beginning to wonder if he made a mistake in joining Tau's alliance.

"Don't worry, Master, we have a plan for beating them, as we've got friends in high and low places within the galaxy." Magash confidently said, which did little to reassure the old Sunesi on his concerns.

Deciding to place his trust in the Force, as he knew that he and his students could not sit idly by as the galaxy suffered under the heels of Sith oppression, he simply said to all of his guests, "Very well. But, you know that you are risking the freedom of the galaxy through this plan of yours, don't you?"

"We know, Master Aquinos. But, if we don't do this while there's still some time left, then not one else will, and it'll be too late for anyone else to do anything before eternal darkness covers the galaxy." Jax said, remembering how he found the strength to go ahead with Tuden Sal's botched plan to assassinate Sidious when he saw how courageous his father had been in tracking down Darth Maul in order to avenge the death of a Jedi that he grew close with.

"True words, Jedi Pavan, true words." Dragite said in concurrence before he and the rest of the people in the conference room left in order to prepare each of their ships for the journey to the even remoter farming world of Lah'mu.

 _Meanwhile, On the_ Second Chance

_In Hyperspace_

_Two Days From Lah'mu_

"I… I can't believe it." Kix numbly said as his mind digested everything that he had learned about the four years that he was imprisoned in stasis: The Jedi Order had been driven to the edge of extinction by the Clone Troopers that the majority of which were under the control of the control chips that Fives had tried to warn everyone about; the Chancellor was revealed to be the Sith Lord that was responsible for the Clone War, and took power as the Galactic Emperor, slowly eradicating freedom from the galaxy as he consolidated his power; and how a Jedi Knight, an actual descendent of Darth Sidious himself, had been sent back in time by the Celestials in order to help prepare the galaxy for so many threats that defied comprehension. To make matters worse, most clones remained loyal to Sidious during the transition of power, and only a few thousand deserted his twisted empire, with Rex, Gregor, and Wolffe leading Fordo, Doom, Jet, Boil, Jesse, and Coric in deserting the Empire, with the 777th Legion and Several Clone Commando Squads deserting the Empire as well.

Sadly, for Kix, most devastating piece of information that he learned was that his own Jedi General, Anakin Skywalker, was serving the Emperor as his cyborg Sith Apprentice, Darth Vader, and led the slaughter of the bulk of the Jedi within their temple after Order Sixty-Six was initiated.

As the full weight of what he had learned crashed down upon him, and realizing how close he was to stopping it all if it wasn't for the damned clankers and their Sith masters, he began to sob uncontrollably, and was comforted by Ahsoka and Rex, who each grabbed a shoulder of the weeping Clone medic, and held onto him with all of the compassion that they could offer.

It took a full ten minutes for the medic to stop crying, and he wiped his eyes clear as he looked at Ahsoka and Rex, and gratefully said to both of them, "Thank you for being there for me."

Once he calmed down completely, he growled out in tremendous anger, "So, where do we go from here, and how can I help tear down those two _aruetiise_ and their Force-forsaken empire?"

"We're heading to Lah'mu, where the Shadow Alliance, along with several cells and potential allies, are going to plan their next move. You can help us by remembering every scrap of intel that you have on those damned chips that the Kaminoans placed in us so that we can hopefully find a counteragent for them, as we don't want to risk Sidious activating Order Sixty-Six again in any clone that still has one." Mij said, sharing Kix's rage at the inhumanity of the Sith's designs.

Kix, wanting to do his part in helping his brothers that were under the Sith's control, and wanting revenge against his former leaders for betraying them for their own selfish aims, nodded his head in affirmation at the request.

Jesse then took the chance to enthusiastically say to his former squad mate, "It's good to have you back, Kix. Hopefully, you'll get the chance to patch up a lot of us SA boys up, just like the old days in the GAR."

Kix merely chuckled at the ARC Trooper's banter, and said, "Are you starting to turn into Hardcase, old friend, because that sounded a lot like him?"

"No, I'm just ready to kick some _shebs_ after four years of hiding." Jesse said, earning laughs from everyone in the room as they began to talk to Kix about what they've been up to while he was in stasis.

_Two Days Later_

_Twenty Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah'mu_

_In the Lah'mu System_

_Onboard the_ Laranth/Corsair

"It's hard to believe that such a sparsely populated world will decide the fate of the Shadow Alliance. But, then again, I suppose that Iluvatar works in strange ways." Aquinos said, showing his newfound faith in the first Celestial to exist.

"Well, Aquinos, if I've learned anything from my time as a living being, the most unexpected things often happen where and when we least expect it." Tau wistfully said, remembering all of the adventures and battles that Edaan went on before he sacrificed himself, and all of the conflicts and worlds that Tau went to after he was sent back in time.

"True enough." I-Five said in concurrence as he saw a small but potent fighting force above Lah'mu: Five _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, including Maarisa Zsinj's _Retaliation_ and Rahm Kota's _Sith's Vengeance_ , the mismatch fleets of the remainder of Kota's militia, Saw Gerrera's Partisans, and the forces of Berch Teller's cell, Cham Syndulla's Free Ryloth movement, the Commenor Underground, Atrivis Resistance Group, and Christophsis resistance, and several dozen Mandalorian ships that belonged to the Mandalorians under Fenn Shysa's command, which numbered well over one hundred and fifty ships, ranging from frigates to small but heavily modified capital ships.

He also saw seven organic-looking whale-like ships in position, and asked Tau, "Am I correct to assume, Tau, that those are the Yuuzhan Vong that are allied with your cause?"

"Yep. Oh, and those Venerators hold the entire 777th Legion of the GAR after it went rogue from the Empire." Tau proudly said, grateful that so many people had joined a handful of Jedi's cause to save the galaxy from within and without.

Den whistled at the impressive display of ships, and said in an uncharacteristic display of optimism, "Well, if enough ships keep coming in at this pace, we might yet stand a chance of fighting off the Empire's full might."

"Let's hope so, Den, because we won't get a second chance at this." Jax said, not willing to forget how stacked the odds were against them.

"Yeah, but if we can beat the Empire here, we can inspire more people to join our fight in the years to come." Magash said, not willing to let her fear of overwhelming odds control her.

"Well, all of this talking about the issue won't get it solved. Let's head down to the Erso's farm, and introduce ourselves to everyone." Tau said, ready to get this show on the road, as he helped Jax transmit the _Laranth_ 's clearance codes to the fleet that orbited the farm world.

_Five Minutes, On Lah'mu_

_Within the Erso's Farm_

" _Tau's arrived within the system, Saw, and is heading your way with several Jedi._ " Staven said to his leader, who nodded in appreciation at the subordinate's warning.

"He's early. I guess I shouldn't have expected any different from a Palpatine." Saw mused as Staven ended his transmission, and said to Galen Walton Erso, who was standing near him, "We need to prepare for the summit, as this may be our only chance to get you and your family out of the reach of the Empire before they come for us."

"I want to know just what Tau Palpatine wants, as there must be a reason for him calling this summit here, and I want to know how he plans to stop his ancestor, if he indeed the Emperor's descendent." Galen said.

"He likely wants your help in building a weapon for his own attempts to take over the galaxy, as I'm not buying that he's on our side. Not after the war that the Emperor created for his own selfish ends." Saw dismissively said, before he saw his wife, Lyra Erso, enter the room, and he said, "We'll continue this conversation later, as you've got a family to attend to."

Once Saw left the room, Lyra said to her husband, "We can't leave this summit, Galen. I won't keep running from the Empire for the rest of my life, especially with Jyn to care for."

"I know. That's why we're going to listen to what this Tau Palpatine has to say before we decide on a course of action. I have a feeling that there's more to his tale than what Saw was telling us." Galen said, doubting his friend's sincerity on the Jedi's motives.

He then shook his head, and said to his wife, "Where's Jyn?"

"She's playing with the young Jedi that already down on the planet, along with some of the Clones and Mandalorians that are here, as she's taken a liking to the young Tholothian who came with the Jedi and their allies from Arda."

"Good. She could use some people to socialize with that are her own age." Galen approvingly said as he began to walk outside to see the preparations of the Shadow Alliance's upcoming battle with the Empire: Turrets and turbolasers were being erected across the landscape; trenches were being dug in for the ground forces, and command centers were being built for the different rebel cells that were present for this upcoming summit between the various anti-Imperial forces.

Seeing the despondent look on her husband's face at being in the middle of a future war zone, Lyra pecked his cheek, and comfortingly said to Galen, "Trust in the Force, my love. It will provide for us."

_Meanwhile, Within the Khar Shian System_

_Onboard the_ Empire's Vengeance

"I trust that your agent has infiltrated the Shadow Alliance's summit at Lah'mu, my old friend?" Darth Sidious said to the kneeling Grand Moff Trachta.

"She reported to me in the success of the first part of her mission not one hour ago, master." Trachta loyally said, before he continued, saying, "Her shuttle's long-range sensors went undetected as it scanned the fleet that surrounded the planet, and her reports were… illuminating, to put it lightly." He then pulled out a holomap that he had in his pocket, and activated it, which revealed over one hundred and sixty ships of various designs surrounding Lah'mu.

Sidious looked intently at the images of the many Mandalorian ships, as well as the seven organic-looking ships that were at the rear guard of the fleet, and mused, "So, the Mandalorians and Yuuzhan Vong have revealed themselves to us." He then turned to face Trachta, and said in praise, "It appears that your project has already begun to bear significant fruit. Keep me appraised of any further developments."

"By your will, my master." Trachta said as he exited the Star Destroyer's bridge, and Sidious turned his throne room in order to observe the growing Imperial fleet that orbited the Khar Shian shipyards: Fifteen _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, Ten _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, Ten _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, Twenty Imperial Light Cruisers, and wing upon wing of TIE Fighters and older Clone War-era fighters.

 _And this is only the beginning. Soon, the Shadow Alliance will fall, and Tau Palpatine will be mine!_ Sidious victoriously thought as he prepared to meditate in order to center his energies for the coming battle against the Jedi and their forces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends the recruitment efforts of the Shadow Alliance, at least for now. Next chapter, we'll get to meet many of the people that heeded Tau's call. Don't worry, more allies will come, and many of them you won't see coming. So, did you guys see Squasher's latest update for Unexpected Jedi, because I sure did, and it had me in a frenzy for more when he's ready, as he has to go at his own pace, not the pace that I and others would wish him to go at? Speaking of good fanfiction authors, I hope that Iron117Prime is all right, as I haven't heard from him in a while. He's probably just busy, what with school and everything. So, how have you been on the day of March 21, 2018? I've been well, as I did some homework, got Injustice 2 #22, and worked for over four hours at my movie theater today, which makes today pretty productive for me. Oh, and, I just realized that, as of now, I've surpassed over 150,000 words in my story, and it hasn't even been three months. That's so amazing. Well, I guess that that's it for today. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	36. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone. How are you doing on the day of March 22, 2018? I’m doing all right, as I have some homework to take care of this week, so my updates might be a bit slower to come for a while. So, what did you guys think of the last chapter, as the next few will have the Shadow Alliance prepare for its summit, and the imminent attack by the Empire. Fair warning, the next few chapters will have characters from The Hobbit and “RWBY” come into the story, so be prepared for many cameos, as well as many characters from Squasher’s stories. Oh, and the interactions between everyone will be amazing, that’s a promise. I have no idea how I’m going to pull off this summit, as it will be much bigger than Natasi Daala’s Siege of Mandalore. Well, wish me luck, because I know that I’m going to need it. Let’s get started. 
> 
> (March 23, 2018 Addendum.) Hey, guys. How are you doing today? I’m ecstatic, as Iron117Prime updated his Worlds Collide story with his penultimate chapter, and it was perfect in every way! I also got some homework done, volunteered at my local help center, mowed my parents’ lawn, and ate some good pizza for lunch and dinner. Well, I’d better get to writing, as I only have a few hours left in the day before I need to go to bed, as I have to work at my movie theater tomorrow and Sunday. Hey, speaking of movies, are you going to see any movies soon, because I plan to see “Paul: Apostle of Christ” on Monday with my mother, as I know that it will be a riveting and life changing movie, as it can relate to religious (Don’t worry, I know that many people that aren’t Christians are suffering as well) persecution that is currently going on across the globe as we speak. I pray for the end of such bigotry and intolerance, and an era of, at the very least, tolerance, and, I’m more hopeful, coexistence between people of different faiths. Well, back to writing, fellow friends and fanfiction writers.
> 
> (9:45 P.M. Addendum) Hey, guys. Sorry to add another addendum, but I wanted to make you guys salivate for the next set of chapters, as they will have such a drastic change in the Shadow Alliance’s strategies with the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, that you’ll never see them coming. Squasher and I agreed that our current plan was too morally ambiguous, and decided on a less drastic course of action. I can’t wait to show you all what we came up with. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all until then.

_Back on Lah’mu_

_1.0 Kilometer From the Erso Family’s Hut_

_Within the_ Lambda _-classT-4a shuttle_ Lambda

 

Admiral Shonn Volta felt the powerful concentration of Light Side energy on this world, and she instantly knew what it meant: Many Jedi and their acolytes were here on Lah’mu, and the thought of having to peacefully interact with them filled her with revulsion to her stomach.

 

Knowing that her superiors would want to hear from her soon, she took several calming breaths, and exited the shuttle, only to find a Mandalorian that wore a blue and white Nite Owls helmet, which Shonn instantly knew belonged to Bo-Katan Kryze, the former lieutenant of Pre Vizla, the deceased ruler of the Mandalorian splinter group known as Death Watch, and the sister of the late Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore.

 

Recognizing that she would be her escort through this summit, and grateful that she wouldn’t yet have to deal with a Jedi, she factually said to the Mandalorian, “I’m assuming that the Jedi sent you to be my escort.”

 

“Actually, I volunteered, as I know how dangerous you are, Volta, and why you’re really here. Let’s just hope that your patron sees how dangerous the Emperor and the Yuuzhan Vong are, as we’re going to need every hand that we can get in order to survive the coming wars.” Bo-Katan explained, before she continued, saying, “Fair warning, a lot of people here aren’t as forgiving as me and my superiors, so don’t do anything that will provoke them, and _especially_ don’t mention your hatred of the Jedi and Republic, as they’ll likely try to kill you if you reveal your current allegiance.” 

 

“Fair enough. But, I thought that you too hated the Jedi for what they did to your people, Lady Kryze.” Shonn curiously said, making Bo-Katan swing around, and struggle to control her tongue in order to avoid saying something that she would regret.

 

“Don’t get me wrong, Volta, I can hold a grudge for a long time, especially against the Jedi. But, when the fate of my people is at stake, I’m willing to do almost anything to protect them, kind of like how you did when the Republic devastated your world, and you joined the Confederacy in order to bring supplies to your people.” Bo-Katan rebutted, immediately regretting ripping open an old wound that the admiral had.

 

Instead of receiving a hard blow from Shonn, she merely smiled at the Mandalorian’s comeback, and said in commendation, “You’ve got spirit, Lady Kryze. That is good. Maybe we can get along after all.”

 

“Just call me Bo.” Bo-Katan said, grateful that her words had some effect on the Force-Senstive Imperial’s mind. She then led Shonn through the Mandalorian’s camp, introducing her to many of the people under her command, which Shonn was able to get along with quite well due to many of them knowing what kind of loss they suffered due to the Old Republic and the Jedi Order.

 

_Meanwhile, Within the Arda Camp_

As Tau and Celebion walked with the rest of the crew of the _Second Chance_ to where their friends and family, respectively, resided for the next few weeks, Ahsoka and Rex looked amazed at the various groups and races that had already come to the summit that would decide the fate of the free galaxy for decades, perhaps even centuries, to come. Mandalorians were conversing with Twi’leks and Clone Troopers in a manner that befitted people talking about the weather instead of troop deployments and the incredible odds that were arrayed against them. The Togruta could see short but sturdy Dwarves sharing forging secrets with their human counterparts, while several elves, who were distinguishable with their pointy ears, were examining their blaster rifles and swords that befitted a warrior from a less technological advanced society.

 

What truly surprised her, however, were the several strong presences in the Force that she nearly instantly recognized as Jedi that she spent her time as a youngling with, and she nearly ran to meet them. She was held back, however, by her boyfriend, who mischievously said, “Down, girl. We need to stick together, as this camp can be like a maze unless you know the way. Besides, I want us to be together when we tell them of our relationship.”   
  


Ahsoka rolled her eyes at Tau’s playfulness, and smugly said in reply, “I think that I can tell them of our budding romance all on our own. Besides, I want to talk to Viridian and the others, as I haven’t seen them since the Clone War.”

 

“You’ll get your chance sooner than you think, old friend.” Said a strong and firm female voice from the tent to the crew’s left, and Ahsoka immediately recognized it as one of her former fellow Padawans, and bolted into the tent. She saw an eighteen year-old woman with strawberry blonde hair and amethyst eyes in civilian clothes, and she said in joy, “Kes!!”

 

As Ahsoka gripped Kes in a firm hug, Kes eagerly reciprocated the hug, and she said, “It’s good to see you too, Ahsoka. Can you let me go now, as you’re hurting my stomach, and I’m carrying precious cargo in there?”

 

In shock, Ahsoka let her friend go, only to exclaim, “You’re pregnant?!? How… When did that happen? And with whom?”

 

“Who else do you think could capture her heart?” A joyful voice said that Ahsoka knew belonged to Viridian Mallory, another of her old friends, and she hugged him in relief at him being alive, and the news of him becoming a parent in a matter of months.

 

“I’m so happy for you two. I always knew that there was a special connection between you guys, but I never thought that you’d marry so soon.” Ahsoka said as she looked at the wedded couple, and asked Kes, “How long are you along?”

 

“About two months. I’d have stayed on Remnant, but there was no way that I was going to leave Viridian to fight the Sith all alone, and because Cad Bane was closing in on our location.” Kes explained, with Ahsoka nodding in understanding, remembering her own encounters with the Duros bounty hunter during her time as Anakin’s Padawan.

 

“So, how are Daniel and Vega doing?” Ahsoka said in an effort to move past Cad Bane as a conversation topic.

 

“Why don’t you ask them yourself, since they’ll be here with the Remnant delegation in a few days?” Viridian said as he saw Tau and Celebion enter the tent, and he went to greet his two friends, giving each of them firm hugs before saying to them, “It’s good to see you two again.”

 

“Likewise, Viridian.” The Dúnedain ranger enthusiastically said before he turned to face Kes, and said, “We overheard you telling Ahsoka that you were with child, and we wish to express our congratulations at your impending parenthood.”

 

“Thank you, Celebion.” Kes gratefully said to the man who officiated the wedding between her and Viridian, and gave him a bear hug that he eagerly returned.

 

Once the hug ended, Kes turned to Tau, and said, “It’s good to see you again, Tau. I take it that you’ve been busy, as we’ve seen so many Jedi here that we all thought would have been dead by now, not to mention all of the resistance groups that have come to our aid.”

 

“Well, I had some help in that department.” Tau bashfully said as he glanced at Ahsoka, and Viridian, being as perceptive as he was, recognized the looks that Ahsoka and Tau shared, and smugly smiled at the couple, making them blush in embarrassment at their secret being exposed before they would tell them.

 

“How long have you guys been together?” Viridian gleefully said to the two of his friends, and Kes gasped in joy over the question.

 

“A little over a month, Viridian.” Tau honestly said, before he continued, saying, “After our mission to Mortis, we formed a connection, and agreed to take things one step at a time, as we both have tremendous responsibilities for the Shadow Alliance that may take us on separate paths for a time. Plus, we both want this relationship to last.”

 

Ahsoka continued, saying, “Tau helped me begin to come to terms with Anakin’s fall, and he and his friends have helped me see that, if we can’t save him, then I won’t have a choice but to put him down. And, I have to be the one to do it, not out of vengeance, but out of love and the memory of who he once was, as I’m the only one who can do so before risking falling to the Dark Side.”

 

Viridian and Kes stared at Ahsoka with mixtures of pity and surprise, as they did not expect the spunky Padawan of Anakin Skywalker to adopt such a grim demeanor. But, then again, the Clone War and the Great Jedi Purge changed everyone in more ways than one, and not always for the better.

 

Catching the emotions that were coming off her two friends, she said, “I had this talk with Bardan and Master Hett, and they gave me the courage and clarity that I needed to hear in order to decide the right course of action.”

 

“Well, let’s hope that it won’t come to that.” Viridian said, eager to get off of this depressing topic, and said to the Togruta, “So, why don’t we introduce you to the representatives of Arda, as it’ll help to learn of the many diverse cultures that comprise the free peoples of that world?” He then turned to Tau, and said, “You should come too, Tau, as Lord Elrond and Legolas are here, and they’d be pleased to see you after over a year.”

 

“Really?” Tau said in surprise, as he did not expect the leader of the Elven city of Imladris/Rivendell, and the son of the king of Mirkwood to attend the summit, given its distance from the war on Sauron and his vassals. He then composed himself, and asked in curiosity, “I would have thought that Lord Elrond would have sent his sons in his stead. Who else came to represent Arda?”

 

“Well, there’s Balin and Glóin representing the king of Erebor, Prince Bain of Esgaroth, Ecthelion of the Stewards of Gondor, Thengel of Rohan, Haldir of Lothlórien, and we figured that Celebion here could take the mantle of the Dúnedain Rangers.” Kes said, which made the Ranger nod in understanding and acceptance of the proposal.

 

“All right. I guess that we should greet our ambassadors, as Glóin hates being kept waiting too long.” Tau said, remembering how brusque the Dwarf father could be when provoked during his time on Arda.

 

“Tell me about it.” Viridian and Kes simultaneously said as they led Ahsoka and Tau deeper into the Arda camp, and met the assembled leaders of the Arda delegation.

 

At seeing one of his fellow Liberators of Erebor, Balin exuberantly said, “Well, bless my heart, Tau Palpatine! It’s good to see you again, laddie.” He walked over the human, and gave him a warm hug, one that he eagerly returned as he chuckled at the older Dwarf’s friendly demeanor.

 

“Likewise, old friend.” Tau said, remembering how Balin was the friendliest of the thirteen Dwarves under Thorin Oakenshield’s company before its disbandment. He then let go of Balin, turned to face Elrond and humbly said, “I must admit, my Lord Elrond, that I was unprepared for your arrival. Nevertheless, I am grateful for your coming, as we will need your wisdom and experience in the summit and battles to come.”

 

“I appreciate that, Tau, as Lady Galadriel and _Mithrandir_ themselves dispatched me to this world in order to help coordinate our world’s forces under your command. They informed me that you have a plan for destroying the Sith shrine that resides over your order’s prime temple, and require their assistance. I came to inform you that they are willing to help you in your endeavors.” Elrond said, shocking Tau before he was nudged by Ahsoka to bow his head in appreciation.

 

“You have our thanks, my lord.” Celebion graciously said in Tau’s place before he turned to face Ecthelion and Thengel, and said to the two heirs to their kingdoms, “We appreciate your fathers sending you to aid our alliance, as we will need every battle-hardened man and woman if we’re going to stand a chance against the Empire’s military might.”

 

“If there is one thing that you and the people of this galaxy have taught me, it is that military might is only a part of the formula for victory, my friend.” Said a heavily accented voice that belonged to one of the Yuuzhan Vong’s former Supreme Commanders, Vem Carr, before his defection to the Shadow Alliance during the final battle for Arda.

 

“Vem! Thanks for coming.” Celebion stated as he gripped the warrior’s hand in a strong handshake, which Vem eagerly reciprocated as he chuckled at his comrade’s eagerness to see his friend and fellow warrior again.

 

“Don’t mention it, Celebion. My people would never turn down a good fight, especially one against such as great an evil as the Sith.” Vem said, before he turned to face Tau and Ahsoka, and said, “So, I see that Viridan and Celebion were truthful in their reports of you two starting a relationship together. May Iluvatar grant you many long years together.”

 

Upon hearing that their two friends told them of them being a couple, both Ahsoka and Tau looked ready to murder the Jedi and Dúnedain Ranger before Glóin began to laugh vigorously, which was soon followed by smiles or chuckles from everyone else, and the couple calmed down enough to huff out their disapproval at Viridian and Celebion.

 

“Hey, don’t look at me, Tau. I only told Viridian of this development, and he must have told everyone else just to gossip.” Celebion said as he raised his hands in order to defend himself from the two Force-Sensitives’ wrath.

 

Once Tau calmed down, he tensely asked Viridian, “So, you played us for kicks by pretending not to know of our relationship? I don’t know whether to be impressed, angry, or frightened with you right now, old friend.”

 

“You can be all of those things, as I would have done the same thing, had he blurted out my relationship with my wife before we were married.” Glóin said in understanding. The red-haired Dwarf then said, “So, are you going to introduce yourself, lassie, or are you just going to stare there imagining what you’re going to do to young Viridian?”

 

Ahsoka, having calmed down from her anger, politely said, “Right. My name is Ahsoka Tano, and I look forward to working with and getting to know each of you over the next few weeks.”

 

“That’s good, because we will have much time to kill before the battle begins.” Ecthelion said, glad that he would have more time to prepare for such a major battle against one of the enemies that was bent on destroying the people of Gondor’s way of life, and perverting it into their own sick reflection.

 

“Yes.” Haldir said in concurrence, before he insightfully said, “We need this time to familiarize ourselves with our allies, and work to gain the trust of the inhabitants of the greater galaxy if we are to stand a chance at halting the Empire’s advance.”

 

“Agreed.” Legolas commented, before he said to Bain and Thengel, “Don’t worry, we can win this battle, but only if we all stick together.”

 

“I only pray that we can survive the battles to come, because I have my sisters to get back to after we deal with the Empire here.” Bain grimly said, with Thengel nodding his head in agreement with the prince of Dale and Esgaroth, as he yearned to return to the realm of the horse-lords on Arda.

 

“Well, if all goes well, then we’ll deal the first blow of many to the Sith and their twisted Galactic Empire.” Tau said with a hint of viciousness in his voice while he clenched his fist as he spoke.

 

After taking a calming breath in order to calm the rage in his heart at Sidious’s designs for the galaxy, he said to everyone, “Well, we’ve got twenty days until the summit begins, so I recommend that you all get to know the people here, as we’ll be spending a lot of time together with a lot of different people. Good luck.” 

 

With that said, he nodded his head in gratitude of everyone hearing him out, and left the area to head to the camp where Fenn Shysa and Kal Skirata were located.

 

Rex, wondering just how deep his passion for justice was, spoke up for the first time during this meeting, asked no one in particular, “Was Tau like this when he was with you guys?”

 

“Not to that extent, good sir, but he always had a drive to help as many people as he could. Probably a result of trying to live up to his brother’s legacy.” Balin said, remembering how the young Jedi confided in him his fears of not being able to hold true to the promises that he made to Edaan Palpatine before he passed away.

 

“Yeah.” Ahsoka said before she said, “Thank you for coming here, and I hope to get to know you all better before we fight for the future of everyone. I’d better get going, as I have a lot of efforts to organize with Rex and the others.” She and the Clone Trooper then left the leaders of Arda to their own devices, and headed to where Kal Skirata and his clan could be found.

 

When the two friends arrived, they saw Kal having an icy discussion with Quinlan Vos, and neither man looked too pleased to be within a kilometer of each other.

 

As both Ahsoka and Rex looked at each other for a second in nervousness, they rushed to break up the argument before it spiraled into a death match between the Mandalorian clan leader and Jedi Master.

 

“Something wrong, guys?” Ahsoka worriedly said, hoping to break up the tension between the two fighters.

 

“No, Ahsoka. We just reached an understanding on each other’s positions within your boyfriend’s alliance. He agrees not to disrespect the clones, then I’ll try my best to play nice with him.” Kal reassuringly said, which Quinlan nodded in agreement with.

 

“Colonel Skirata explained to me how the majority of the Clone Troopers didn’t follow Order Sixty-Six out of free will, Ahsoka, and I already know what Tau wants of me within his alliance. I’m more than willing to help him build a successful spy network, but after this, I’m not going to be commanding troops unless it was of the utmost need.” Quinlan said, before he turned to face Rex, and approvingly said, “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you, Captain. I hope to see just how accurate they are when the battle arrives.”

 

Rex, relieved that the Kiffar Jedi was going to try to get along with him and his brothers, said in reply, “Don’t worry, Gen- Master Vos. I bet at least most of them are true.”

 

“Good. We’ll need every experienced fighter that we can get if we’re going to escape this death trap of a summit that Tau and his friends planned.” Quinlan satisfactorily said before he took his leave.

 

Ahsoka then optimistically said to Kal, “Well, at least you two aren’t trying to kill each other. Maybe there’s hope for reconciliation between the Jedi and Mandalorians yet.” 

 

“Don’t expect too much, Ahsoka, or you’ll end up a bitter old soldier, just like me.” Kal warned, not wanting the former Jedi to get her hopes up for nothing.

 

“Hey, a girl’s gotta dream big if she wants to succeed in the Imperial-dominated galaxy.” Ahsoka dismissively said, earning a chuckle from the grizzled war veteran. She then continued, saying, “So, how many of your people have arrived, and who’s in charge of them all?”

 

“Well, given that the fate of the galaxy’s at stake, and since we’re already wanted by the Empire for ‘treason’, our _Mand’alor_ , Fenn Shysa, is here in person, along with about five thousand Mandalorians from across the galaxy, and an old associate of yours from the Siege of Mandalore, Bo-Katan Kryze, along with her Nite Owls.”

 

“Bo’s here?” Ahsoka and Rex simultaneously said in shock, as they expected the former regent of Sundari to be fighting the Empire on her home world, not several sectors away from the fight to liberate the world of Mandalore.

 

“Indeed I am.” The strong feminine voice of the former Regent of Sundari said, coming up with Tau and Shonn Volta, who then satisfactorily said to the former Jedi, “I see that you’ve been busy since the Empire rose to power. What I didn’t expect was that Kal was telling the truth about you falling for a Palpatine, even if he is a Jedi Knight from the future.”

 

Before Ahoska or Rex could ask the unanswered question, Bo-Katan continued, saying, “Don’t worry, Kal only told me and _Mand’alor_ about your relationship, and we have no desire for anyone to find out before you guys feel that you’re ready, as it’s your story to tell. Besides, from what I’ve seen and heard about each of you, you guys are a good couple.”

 

“Just make sure to keep it that way, as a lot more people would be coming for us if our enemies found out about our relationship. That includes you, Admiral Volta.” Tau warned, while the former assassin rolled her eyes at the young Jedi’s warning that was mainly directed at her.

 

“So, this is the woman that was sent by Grand Moff Trachta to ascertain if we’re a danger to the galaxy, or an ally to have on his side.” Rex accusingly said, which made Ahsoka and Tau worried as Shonn raised an eyebrow at the Clone Captain’s remark.

 

He then continued, surprising everyone by saying, “I hope that we can have you on our side, Admiral, as we need experienced warriors to whip these groups into a unified fighting force, not to mention that we need cynics like you in order to keep us dreamers honest.”

 

“That remains to be seen, Captain.” Shonn noncommittally said, while surprised by the Clone Trooper’s attempts at candor with her, despite the animosity between the Republic and Confederate forces that persisted all of this time after the Clone War. 

 

“Well, why don’t we get a cup of caf from one of the crews here, and we can discuss… well, our combat records, experiences, and knowledge of Vader, as we’ll need every scrap on intel that we can get our hands on if we’re going to have a chance against that Sithspawn of a traitor.” Rex suggested, shocking everyone with his attempts to get to know one of Dooku’s prized assassins.

 

Shonn merely smiled at the clone’s politeness, and said, “Very well, captain, if only to help take down the man that took away over a year of my life, as well as the second man that I loved.” She then bitterly remembered Laurita Tohm, and how she knew, from Vader’s implied threat not long after the Gentis Coup, that Vader was the one who killed the newly promoted Admiral Tohm over petty jealousy.

 

As the two war veterans walked away, everyone stared in shock over the cordial display between two would-be enemies, and Tau then said, “Well, I didn’t see that coming.”

 

“I don’t think that anyone here did, Tau.” Kal numbly said, before he shook himself out of his stupor, and said, “Well, I’d better check on Kix, Mij, and Uthan, as they’re working on a counteragent for the clones’ control chip, and we only have so long before Sidious gets here.”

 

“I’ve got to go too, as I’ve got to meet up with _Mand’alor_ in order to help keep our troops disciplined for the siege.” Bo-Katan said, before she began to leave. As she did so, she said, “Nice seeing you both again. I look forward to kicking some Imperial and Sith shebs in the battles to come.” 

 

Once Bo-Katan was out of hearing range, Ahsoka curiously asked Tau, “You met her before?”

 

“Yeah. She was one of the leaders of the Mandalorians that were sent by Shysa to help defeat the Yuuzhan Vong on Arda, and we got along well enough. She’s not too bad, once you get to earn her trust, that is.” Tau said, surprising Ahsoka with his praise of the woman, as her experiences with her did not change until they fought against Darth Maul and his Shadow Collective cronies at the end of the Clone War.

 

He then said, “So, what now, as we’ve got just under three weeks before the summit is supposed to begin, and there’s so much to do?”

 

“Well, we do have to help organize the fleet’s preparation for the Imperials’ invasion, and we have a bunch of rebel cells to meet up with, so I suggest that we split up for now. We can meet up again at the Erso’s farm, and have a talk with them, and hopefully Saw, and hope that they see the merits of this crazy plan of yours.” Ahsoka said, referring to Tau, Viridian, and Daniel’s insane plan of co-opting Sidious’s growing arsenal of superweapons for the Shadow Alliance’s usage.

 

“Believe me, Ahsoka, if we have a better option, I’m gonna take it, regardless of the risks involved. That’s a promise.” Tau said, before he shrugged his shoulders, and said, “Well, I guess that I can meet up with the Free Ryloth Movement and Berch Teller’s cells, and get to know them better.”

 

Ahsoka, knowing her boyfriend’s look all too well, despite their short time together as a couple, conspiratorially said, “You just want to speak to Hera, don’t you?”

 

“Well, that’s part of the reason.” Tau admitted, knowing that he couldn’t hide anything from a spymaster, before he continued, saying, “But, I also want to try to get to know the freedom fighters that came before me, so that I can better grow as a person and leader.”  

 

“Well, then, may Iluvatar be with us both.” Ahsoka said as they deeply kissed before she forebodingly said, “Don’t forget that you promised me a date, and I intend to make you keep that promise.” After Tau chuckled at Ahsoka’s warning, they went their separate ways for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends another chapter of Star Wars: Shadow Wars: Foundation. So, what did you think of it, as I tried to get the characters just right? Did you like the little spoilers of past events in Squasher’s stories, as I cleared it with Squasher first before publishing this chapter? So, with that out of the way, how are you all doing on March 24, 2018? I’m doing well, as I worked at my movie theater tonight for almost four hours, and helped train a new employee there, so that was an interesting experience. Honestly, I’m surprised that I was able to write this chapter so quickly, but I guess that I had the right motivation to do so. Well, I guess that that’s it for now. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	37. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning, everyone. How are you doing on this cool day of March 26, 2018? I’m doing well, as I finished my homework, I just had some nachos for lunch, and I will soon go to see “Paul: Apostle of Christ” with my mother, so I’ll have an addendum for that movie later today. Sorry that I’m starting this chapter a day late, I had to make some modifications to Chapter 35, and it took a while to coordinate things with Squasher due to our respective responsibilities. But, I’m here now, and I’m ready to work. So, this chapter will have Tau meet up with the leaders of Berch Teller’s rebel cell, and the Free Ryloth Movement in order to get to know the people that he’s working with, plus there’ll be some more cameos from Squasher’s stories as well in the next couple of chapters, one of which will leave you guys shocked at who it is. After that, I think that I’ll have some more renegade Imperials come into the fray, and some RWBY characters as well, which might take me a while to figure out how to best integrate them into my story. Oh, and the heroes will have a new plan to deal with the Yuuzhan Vong in this chapter, which came to us thanks to Squasher and I talking about one, and it will impress you guys, and hopefully stick with us all as lessons that we can learn from. Well, I’d better get started, as I have less than an hour before I go to the movies. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me. 
> 
> (3:48 P.M. Addendum.) Good afternoon, everyone. As promised, here is an addendum that is about the purely moving movie “Paul: Apostle of Christ”. It helped further open my eyes to the religious persecution that so many people across the world are enduring right now, just for professing and practicing a faith that might be different from theirs. But, rather than fill my heart with anger, it filled my heart with something deeper: love and pity, for it showed me what the Christians of first century Rome endured in “Nero’s Circus”, as the citizens called it then. It also gave me a glimpse into the suffering that people of so many faiths are experiencing in so many countries, just for being different. I am praying for the safety of everyone who lives in peace, and who loves others unconditionally, regardless of their beliefs, as that is what God and Jesus Christ would want for all of us. If you have a different set of beliefs, then that is okay, as I will still pray for you, as I have friends of different faiths, and we get along well. I also believe that you are good people, and we all deserve a second chance in one way or another. May the Lord Almighty be with us all in these difficult times. Oh, and two more things: First, edelweissmaia, thank you for listing me as a favorite author, and for following me and my works. I will do my best to live up to your expectations. Second thank you for the honest review of my story, EverandeverGreen. I am merely a humble servant of Squasher’s vision in creating his saga, which greatly exceeds mine in honoring the Original Star Wars Expanded Universe. I only hope that I can do his vision justice. Fair warning, though, we have come up with some pretty radical ideas, and will include at least several other universes in the Star Wars galaxy, and me, Squasher, MandoCommander, and DhuryamDhuryam have decided on including. So, sit back, buckle up for an amazing ride, and enjoy.

_Within the Free Ryloth Movement Camp_

 

Hera Syndulla could not help but find the beauty and tranquility of the world of Lah’mu admirable, and lament over the destruction that it would face in the might of the Imperial war machine if it discovered this summit. She always loved traveling to new worlds and learning about the people within them, as they each had a good story to tell if one was willing to stop and listen. What she especially loved was flying, as she had inherited her mother’s hope and her father’s pragmatism, an especially powerful combination in such a young and driven woman who was so eager to drive the Empire from her home world of Ryloth, and end the slave trade within and without her planet.

 

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she almost failed to notice Gobi Gile, one of Cham’s oldest friends and confidants from before the Clone War, conversing with a young Jedi, a human man in full combat armor.

 

Gobi, noticing Hera, waved for her to come over, and she quickly did so. As soon as she was within hearing range, she heard Gobi say, “Tau, this is Hera Syndulla, Cham’s own daughter.” After chuckling for a moment, he continued, saying, “She’s only fourteen years old, and she’s already one hell of a pilot. She’s even got big dreams for the future.” He then turned to Hera, and said, “Hera, this is Tau Nyl. A Jedi Knight, and one of the people that organized this whole summit. He’s also a big conversationalist.”

 

“I just like to get to know the people that I’m going to be working with.” Tau simply said as he smiled brightly at Hera, which, for some unknown reason, made her blush with embarrassment.  He then chuckled at Hera’s bashfulness, and then said, “Come on. Gobi here was going to take me to speak with your father, and I’d like to talk with you, if that’s okay with you, that is.”

 

“Why do you want to speak to my father? Isn’t the summit about twenty days away?” Hera confusingly asked, which earned a nod from both Tau and Gobi.

 

“Tau just wants to compare notes with Cham in their methods of fighting the Empire, and to learn more about how, if Cham can see reason, join the greater fights against the Empire.” Gobi reassuringly said, which calmed Hera down, despite the suspicion that there was more to the story than what Tau had told Gobi.

 

“All right. You mind if I come with you, as I’ve got nothing better to do than target practice on some old droids, and that quickly got old?” Hera asked, earning a nod from Tau.

 

“Sure. Afterwards, how about I show you my ship. It’s a CEC YT-1300 freighter that has a lot of modifications to it in order to make it faster, stronger, and smarter than it was originally designed. And, you can meet my crew, and they’ll give you some pointers on taking care of a ship, just in case you ever want to own one of your own.” Tau enthusiastically said, which filled Hera up with glee at the prospect of being inside such a fast ship.

 

“I’m holding you to that, Tau.” Hera said as a warning for the Jedi to uphold his end of the bargain.

 

Tau only chuckled as he said, “I would expect nothing less from such a brave young woman. Now, let’s meet your father, shall we?”

 

With that, the two Twi’leks and one human walked to where Cham Syndulla could be found: helping his men with their unarmed combat training. As he and his second-most trusted lieutenant, the former slave–turned freedom fighter Twi’lek that was named Isval sparred in order to show their men how to handle Imperial Stormtroopers in the event that they lost their blasters, Tau noticed the former Clone Trooper Boil watching from a distance next to a teal-skinned Twi’lek teenage girl that was observing every detail with the utmost accuracy.

 

Tau immediately realized that this young girl must have been Numa, the now approximately twelve year-old girl that aided the GAR in the liberation of her village from the cruel Separatist occupation of Ryloth. He then smiled at the touching surrogate sibling moment as the many freedom fighters observed Cham take down Isval through striking her off-balance on her right ankle, pushing her to the ground, and pinning her there with strong hand on her neck.

 

Cham then smiled in victory, and said, “Good try, Isval. Your technique is getting better.” He helped his comrade up, and said to everyone, “All right. You’ve all had an ample demonstration of unarmed combat, now let’s see you practice it. I want you all to pair up into groups of two, and show us how far you’ve come. Boil, you and Numa can team up for this one. Don’t hold back, any of you, as even the slightest hesitation could end in your death.”

 

Once the twelve attendants, including the former 212thClone Trooper, began sparring with each other, Cham and Isval then turned his attention to the three guests, and disapprovingly said to Hera, “Daughter. You should be practicing your blaster technique. What are you doing here?”

 

“Father, I’ve already practiced for the last two hours today, I need a break. Besides, Gobi and I brought a friend for you to talk with.” Hera insisted, not wanting to lose any ground to her father.

 

“It’s my fault, General Syndulla. I told her that she could check out my ship after I spoke with you, and I figured that she could use some pointers for her mechanical skills, as she shows promise.” Tau said, before he introduced himself to Cham and Isval, bowing as he said to the two of them, “Tau Nyl, at your service.”

 

“So, you are the Jedi that helped arrange this summit.” Isval curiously said as she appraised the young human that stood before her. She then said, “Why do you think that we care for what happens outside of Ryloth, young man?”

 

“Funny, I assumed that you realized that fighting alone against the might of the Empire is assured suicide, and that, only by fighting together, we can stand a chance at winning this war.” Tau nonchalantly said before he continued, saying, “If you didn’t believe that, then why are you here, as Lah’mu is a very long distance from Ryloth, where the bulk of your movement is fighting against Moff Delian Mors and her lieutenants, including your own mole within her command, Colonel Belkor Dray?”

 

At the mention of their mole’s name, Hera gasped in surprise at this discovery, while Cham, Isval, and Gobi raised their blasters at the Jedi Knight, while the former said, “How did you get that information? Are you an Imperial spy?”

 

Tau merely laughed at that accusation as if a hilarious joke had just been told. But, before he could respond, an elderly sage-like voice said, “No, General Syndulla. Young Tau here isn’t a spy for the Empire. He is merely a man who, apparently, sometimes doesn’t know when to avoid a sensitive topic.” Everyone then turned to see a blind Veknoid and a white-haired woman appear, and each of them carried a lightsaber of some kind.

 

Tau merely smiled at joy at the surprise arrivals, and joyously said to them, “Master Zao, Dark Woman!! You made it.”

 

“Wouldn’t miss this meeting for the galaxy, Tau.” An’ya Kuro graciously said, as the four Twi’leks looked at the duo of Jedi with caution.

 

After a moment, Cham said, “Lower your blasters. I doubt that they’d work on him anyway.”

 

Gobi quickly followed his leader’s lead, while Isval hesitated for a moment before she followed suit. She then said, “So, I take it that Tau here is a genuine Jedi?”  
 

“Indeed he is, madam.” Zao politely said before he continued, saying, “He is from the future, which is why he knew of your leak in this Moff Mors’s staff, so you can rest easy on that regard.”

 

The four Twi’leks then each looked like they were about to faint from shock, and Tau exasperatingly said to Zao, “Did you really have to tell them that last part before the summit began, because I don’t want to be bombarded with questions about my timeline before I can pass out the records to the leaders of each group?”

 

“Well, if you hadn’t told them about this Dray character, then I wouldn’t have had to. Let that be a lesson to you, young one, to keep your vast intellect in check for those who do not yet understand the Force and its mysteries.” Zao said in a scolding manner, while Tau look embarrassed at this lecture, and the Dark Woman looked amused at the lesson that he had to learn the hard way.

 

“Yes, Master Zao.” Tau said in acknowledgement of the older Jedi’s point before he humbly said to the still-speechless Twi’leks, “Sorry for speaking of sensitive matters, guys. Sometimes I let my mind run wild when it ought to be kept in check, and I speak out of turn. I apologize for this, but I would appreciate it if you kept what Master Zao told you to yourselves, at least until the summit begins, as I don’t want it to be known to everyone that I know the future. Is that okay?”

 

“S-sure, Tau.” Hera numbly said, before she asked in her father’s place, “Can you at least tell us if Ryloth’s free, and if the slave trade is over on the world?”

 

At the end of Hera’s question, Tau smiled as he said, “That, I can answer, young Hera. Your home world is indeed free from tyranny, and the slave trade of your people has largely been driven from your world, and is practiced in much reduced numbers across the galaxy than in today’s age.” 

 

“Well, at least we got most of what we wanted.” Hera said, amazed at the news that the slavery on Ryloth was mostly stopped.

 

“Clearly, we have a lot to talk about when it’s time for the summit to begin.” Gobi said, eager to move on beyond a topic that would make his head spin.

 

Cham reluctantly sighed in defeat, knowing that the Jedi, for now, held all of the cards, and relief that, if what Tau said was true, than the majority of his people were free from the Empire and their own wicked traditions. He then nodded his head in acceptance of the delay, and said, “Agreed.”

 

Isval was the only one who did not like the delay of the facts, but, seeing that she was outvoted, she nodded in acceptance of the idea, but said, “Fine. But, any ideas that I don’t like, then all bets are off.”

 

“Fair enough.” Tau said in acceptance of the idea, before he realized something that might result in a firefight, he then turned to face the Dark Woman and Zao, and said “Don’t give them the soup, or Isval and Cham would likely think that you’re trying to poison them.”

 

As the Twi’leks looked on in confusion, Zao looked crestfallen at the order, while An’ya looked amused at the idea of the two angry Twi’leks regurgitating the Veknoid’s homemade soup.

 

Tau then said, “Well, General Syndulla, you mind if I ask a couple of questions, and then take Hera with me to my ship so that my crew can help her learn some extra skills, such as learning how to be a combat medic, learning some other hand-to-hand combat arts, and extra blaster techniques?”

 

“Just as long as it’s nothing too sensitive, Jedi Nyl.” Cham warned in acquiescence.

 

“Why did you bring Numa along, as I didn’t think that you’d bring a prepubescent girl to a big summit?” Tau curiously asked as he saw Boil giving Numa some combat pointers as she attempted to bring him down.

 

“I thought that it would be good for her to learn in a new environment, and learn how outsiders work.” Cham honestly said, before he saw Numa tackle Boil on the ground, and humorously said, “I honestly didn’t think that she’d see one of the Clone Troopers that helped her during the Clone War. Well, on our side, at least. Where is his squad mate, uh… what’s his name… Waxer! That’s it.”

 

At the mention of Waxer’s name, Tau became crestfallen, and Gobi solemnly said, “He’s dead, isn’t he?”

 

“I’m afraid so, Gobi. He died due to the treachery of that blasted _dar'jetii_ known as PongKrell on Umbara, before a now-imprisoned Clone Trooper killed Krell before the Umbarans could try to bust him out.” Tau explained, making everyone lower each of their heads for a moment of silence for the fallen Republic soldier.

 

Once the moment passed, Cham said, “We’d better ask Boil to tell Numa the news. He’s closest to her, and he’s the closest thing that she’s got to left to family.”

 

“I already know.” Numa’s young but accented said, surprising everyone with her calm demeanor in the face of such tragic news. She appeared next to Boil, and continued, saying, “Boil toke me of the news after I asked where Waxer was. He also told me of how Rex and Kix were by his side when he passed, and how the Five-Oh-First and Two-Hundred and Twelfth Legions took Krell down before the traitor could betray everything that he once held dear. I will miss him dearly, but I’ll take some comfort in knowing that his killer was brought to justice.”

 

Tau then smiled warmly at the young woman, and said in commendation of the girl’s fortitude, “You’re a brave girl. You’ll make a fine soldier, and perhaps… something more.”

 

He then began to wonder if the girl could be willing to convert to Iluvatar and the Valar. Before he could say anything, Cham asked, “Anyway, Tau, any more questions for us, or can we get on with training our troops?”

 

“Well, I wanted to know how you’d like to work with ex-Confederate soldiers, more specifically, Ralon Zalveniad and the Nimbus Commandos, as we’ll have them coming to this summit.” Tau nervously said, knowing the nasty history between the Twi’leks and Confederacy due to Wat Tambor’s cruelty and greed.

 

“I trust that you have a good reason for telling us this, Tau.” Cham menacingly said, while Isval looked ready to strangle the Jedi where he stood.

 

“Well, Admiral Zalvenaid is the highest-ranking officer that survived the Imperial cleanup operations after the Clone War, and he’s a gentlemen of an Arkanian officer, not to mention a solid tactician and strategist. And, the surviving Nimbus Commandos are just kids right now that could use some good guidance, which we can provide. Plus, I’ll ask Ralon to stay away from you for the summit, while the rest of the CIS forces will stay on their ships in case the Empire attacks. Is the acceptable, General?”

 

“Fine.” Cham grudgingly said, knowing that the liberation of Ryloth came first over his own personal preferences, and seeing the wisdom of Tau’s argument. However, he said in warning, “Just keep the Separatists away from my people. I can’t promise that my people will show the same level of restraint that I have.”

 

“Fair enough.” Tau said, knowing that the animosity between the Twi’leks and Separatist forces still ran deep over the last four years. He then said, “Well, that’s it for my questions, General. I suppose that we’ll introduce Hera to my crew, and we can train her in various skills.”

 

“Okay. Just bring her back to camp in four hours.” Cham said, before his two lieutenants, along with Boil and Numa, headed back to check up on the progress of their trainees.

 

“Understood. I just have to make a quick stop at Berch Teller’s group in order to check up on their progress of acclimatizing to the summit.” Tau said in agreement, before he, Hera, Zao, and An’ya left to head to the ex-Imperial Intelligence agent’s camp.

 

_Twenty Minutes Later_

_In Berch Teller’s Camp_

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Tau Pa-” Berch began to say before he was cut off through the Dark Woman’s shake of her head, which made him realize what he was about to give away to the young Hera, who would have likely tried to kill the young man after learning of his true lineage.

 

Before Hera could ask what that was all about, Tau smoothly lied, saying to the teenage Twi’lek, “He just mixed up one of my aliases with my real name. I have many names in order to stay ahead of the Empire’s spy network.”

 

Hera nodded in understanding, and she was then greeted by Berch, who said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Syndulla. I’ve heard good things about your father, and I have no doubt that you will one day surpass him in his legacy.”

 

Hera blushed in embarrassment at the high praise that was directed at her, and Berch’s compatriots, Artoz, Cala, Anora Fair, Hask Taff, and Salikk warmly smiled at the young girl’s humility.

 

“So, how have you guys been settling in here? No problems due to the makeshift warship that you’ve got orbiting the planet?” Tau asked.

 

“None whatsoever, Tau. Truth be told, they’re impressed that we managed to cobble together a _Providence_ -Class Dreadnought out of smuggled parts.” Artoz replied.

 

“Good. We can’t afford any division before our summit begins, especially with what’s at stake.” Tau said, the obvious relief evident in his voice before he breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“So, who are your friends?” Hask curiously asked, wondering just who these two Jedi were.

 

“Oh, right! Introductions. The human is the Jedi Master who calls herself the Dark Woman, and the blind Veknoid is the Jedi Master Zao.”

 

“The Dark Woman? I’ve heard of you.” Berch said, the moniker ringing several bells within his mind, as he received several reports from the Jedi spy during the Clone War. He then respectfully said, “Your activities saved a lot of lives during the war.”

 

“And your brave stand against Tarkin’s Antar Atrocities is worthy of note as well, Teller.” The Dark Woman commented in an equally respectful tone.

 

“So, what is your war record, Master Zao?” Artoz curiously asked, intrigued as to what the other Jedi could contribute to this summit.

 

“I have no war record, Mon Calamari Knight.” Zao simply said, before he continued, saying, “I am but a leaf blown by the Will of the Force, and follow it over the dogma of the Jedi High Council.”

 

“Okay… Then why are you here, as this is where we are going to decide how to go to war against the Empire?” Salikk asked, astounded that a pacifistic Jedi was here in what the Gotal bet would soon be a war zone.

 

“Because, patriot of the Republic and Gotal people, Tau asked me to come and help serve as a moral compass to him and his friends, and I felt a calling in the Force to come here.” Zao politely said, before he continued, saying, “Do not mistake my loyalty to the Force for pacifism, young warrior, for I am willing to kill truly evil beings in order to defend the lives of others, if it is necessary.

 

“It’s true. He helped end the Volfe Karkko Crisis on Kiffex fifteen years ago, and helped Jedi on many occasions, such as Master Tholme before the Siege of Saleucami, and Master K’Kruhk and the Younglings under his care a few months after the Empire rose. He’s an ally that we sorely need in these trying times, and a good source of counsel.” Tau said in defense of the Jedi Master, easing the minds of every non-Jedi present.

 

He then continued, suggesting, “Now then, since you and the Dark Woman are on such good terms, why you guys discuss your starfighter complement, and how you can best position your forces for the defense fleet above Lah’mu, as we don’t want any unwelcome visitors to pop in and report our position to the Empire?”

 

“Sounds good to me, Tau. She can definitely pull her weight around here, and we could use the advice of such an atypical Jedi.” Anora said in agreement, with the others voicing similar comments.

 

“Glad to hear it. Well, we’d better get going, as we have only a few hours to show Hera my ship and some new skills.” Tau said as he left Berch’s camp, and, with Zao and Hera in close pursuit, the made their way to the ship in about ten minutes.

 

When they arrived there, they came across several familiar faces to Tau: the Cathar Jedi Jasmine Yajk, Miraluka Jedi Ulra Jasmine Vizla, the Iridonian Jedi Du, and the Mandalorain Jak Vizla, conversing with Celebion, A’Sharad, Arden, Ahsoka, and Kes.

 

Tau, overjoyed at seeing four more of his friends from his battles on Arda, ran towards them, and, after taking a moment to catch his breath from the exertion, said to the four old friends, “I’m glad to see that you’re all here.”

 

“Likewise, Tau.” Jak stoically said, despite the smile that he had on his face at seeing the Jedi that he considered to be a kindred spirit due to their stained lineage.

 

“I see that you have two friends with you.” Ulra said before she bowed to Zao, and said, “I am glad to see you again, Master Zao.”

 

“Ulra. It has been so long since I’ve seen you.” Zao said as he warmly chuckled at one of his informal pupils during a former mission with her and her master outside of the Clone War.

 

The two friends then embraced each other in a strong hug, while Du politely asked Tau, “So, who’s your new friend?”

 

Hera then politely said, “It’s nice to meet you, Master Jedi. My name is Hera Syndulla, and I was promised by Tau to have a chance to learn some tricks for medicine, mechanics, and unarmed combat practice.”

 

“Well, I can show you some old-fashioned Mandalorian brawling, and Tau’s doctor, Jarael Chantique, is one hell of a medical teacher. As for the mechanic training, I’d ask Ventis Uriel for some pointers, as Arden here told us of how he helped get this bucket of bolts up and running at full capacity again. Oh, and don’t bother with that ‘Master Jedi’ nonsense, as we’re all just Jedi Knights. Just call us by our names. I’m Du, and this is Kes, Jasmine, Ulra, and the Mandalorian is Jak.” 

 

“Thanks for the inclusion, Du.” Jak mock-annoyingly said.

 

Before he could continue, however, Tau, referring to the mud and blood stains on Du’s face and armor, asked the Zabrak, “So, are you okay, as you look like you got in a fight with a gundark? And the gundark won.”

 

“Ha, ha. Very funny, Tau.” Du sardonically said before he explained his current appearance, saying, “I was grappling with several Dwarves in order to figure out how they can last for days on their feet on a battlefield.”

 

"You do realize that grappling with a Dwarf, is not the best idea right Du? They have almost all the advantages against you: they have low centers of gravity, their legs are shorter you would have to get on your knees... I mean come on you saw what happened!" Kes exclaimed in exasperation at how Du ignored her warnings of not fighting against three dwarves at once.

 

"Hey, I can only improve if I practice." Du grinned, "Besides it’s a challenge. I know all the intricacies of wrestling them, that's why I asked for a match."

 

Kes shook her head in amusement.

 

“Anyway…” Jak drawled out in order to get everyone’s attention, and he then told Tau, “Tau, Viridian and Daniel want to speak to you, Celebion, and Ahsoka on the _Second Chance_ immediately. The two of them said it was about a change in plans regarding our procurement of weapons for the cause.”

 

Instantly catching on to what Jak was referring to, Tau kept a calm sabacc face as he nodded in appreciation to the Mandalorian, and said to Hera, “I’ll just be a few minutes. In the meantime, you can get started with Jak on your combat training, and in a little while, I’ll introduce you to the rest of my crew. How’s that sound?”

 

“Sounds good to me.” Hera enthusiastically said, which relieved Tau immensely, as he sensed no deception coming from her.

 

As Jak took Hera about fifty meters from the ship to begin her training, Tau said to the other Jedi, “Keep an eye on her, and do not let her onboard the ship until our conversation’s done.” Everyone nodded at the order, and the Jedi Knight, rebel spymaster, and Dúnedain Ranger made their way into the ship, where Viridian awaited them, with Daniel showing up in holographic form.

 

" _Tau, I would like to speak with you. I don't think we should be using these weapons._ " Daniel began.  
  
Before Tau could respond to the spontaneous decision on Daniel’s part, Viridian sighed, and continued the train of thought, saying. "After many a debate, I am in agreement, I can't in good consciousness use those weapons either."

 

" _On one hand I can completely understand the idea of having a weapon of mass destruction._ " Daniel began, " _I'm not afraid of a reasonable power having them because they are not willing to use however what I do fear is the Emperor he's a maniac and is more than willing to use them._ " Daniel stated, " _The way I see it, these weapons should only be used as a last resort, in the event we do end up using them... then we failed._ "  
  
"So what is your plan?" Celebion asked, wondering where this miracle of an idea was going, due to his vehement disapproval over the Empire’s superweapons being used by anyone.  
  
Daniel looked over at Tau, " _I did a great deal of research into the Yuuzhan Vong war in your historical records, from what I gather the Yuuzhan Vong civilization has yet to arrive correct?_ "

 

“Yes. That's correct, Daniel." Tau confirmed, before he continued, saying, "At most, there's maybe a small fleet's worth of ships, and several spies that are working to undermine the galaxy's political structure, and let me tell you, they are as deadly as a Sith Assassin."   
  
He vividly remembered the tales about the most infamous spy that was among the Yuuzhan Vong, Nom Anor, from the gladiator that called himself Vua Rapuung told Edaan when he ran away from his family as a little child.

 

" _So... they are still in the intergalactic void._ " Daniel said.  
  
"What are you thinking Daniel?" Ahsoka asked.

  
" _According to the records, there is only one way into and out of the galaxy due to the strange anomaly that surrounds us, or as we now know the shield that Iluvatar put around our galaxy. What I am thinking is to fortify the entrance, give it a gate house if you will, and stop the Vong in their tracks before they can even start the invasion._ " Daniel explained.

 

"But we can't keep them their forever. They'll all die out eventually, and I'm not going to let an entire species die, even one as messed up as the Vong. Besides, there'll be the recruits and converts that we'll have gained by that point." Tau argued, seeing the merits in that plan, but worried of the risks involved.

 

" _You do realize they killed about 365 trillion people during their invasion, right?_ " Daniel asked with an eyebrow raised, " _I don't want to kill them either but we're not look at Vem Carr and the Vong under his command, even... Zimur._ "  
  
Viridian closed his eyes at the mention of that name as he remembered Vong commander's noble sacrifice during the campaign on Arda.  
  
"Now that I think about it... there may be a way. The thing is, the Yuuzhan Vong do respect the agreements of their honor duels right?" Viridian asked.  
  
" _They destroyed Ithor despite Shedao Shai's word._ " Daniel told him, " _However, if we have a champion to challenge their Supreme Overlord_ …" he began.

 

"Then we can defeat Shimmrra, expose Omini for the puppet master that he is, and convince the Yuuzhan Vong to coexist with us. That plan's crazy, but it's better than the alternatives in front of us. And, we can still prepare our armies and navies for war, just in case we fail, not to mention the present dangers of Sauron, Abeloth, and the Nephillim." Tau said, finishing the train of thought.

 

" _Yeah... like I said gate house force them to parley with us then defeat Shimmrra, and Omini._ " Daniel said, " _They want to come in, they will play by the rules._ "  
  
"So... who wants to find Zonama Zekkot?" Viridian asked.

 

"I know where it will be within a handful of years. It'll be in the Klasse Ephemora System, orbiting the gas giant of Mobus. I can ask Obi-Wan to head there in…. say, five years, and try to negotiate an agreement with the sentient world." Tau said as he planned the best idea for bringing Zonama Sekot into the Shadow Alliance's ranks.

 

"If he is up to it." Viridian replied.

 

"Well, let's hope so, because, without Luke Skywalker and Jacen Solo, and unless we can redeem Vader ahead of schedule, Obi-Wan's the best hope that we've got of bringing the planet into the fold." Tau worriedly replied.   
  
He then continued, saying, "Well, we can have Ferus watch over Luke and Amber until he returns. And, we might be able to convince Thrawn to come along with Master Kenobi, as he won't want to miss the chance to learn more about a seed world of the Vong."

 

Daniel felt an immediate sense of dread when he uttered his wife's name; he looked around for a moment to see if someone overheard, " _Please try not to say those things to out loud._ " Daniel whispered, " _I still think the woman who attacked her is with in Remnant’s midst and I am... a little paranoid._ "

 

"Oh." Tau meekly said, before he nodded in understanding, and said, "Good idea. We'll keep their location between us until the traitor's found. Now all we have to do is figure out how to sell this idea to our more militant allies, as they won't want to risk everything on the supernatural and an honor duel."

 

" _I still think the Gate house idea is the best way to go about this._ " Daniel said, " _Think of it like a glorified check point with tons of ships and stations there to basically say, 'come and try it.' so in case they do try to break through if they did break through then they will be significantly weaker than they were in your timeline... at least that's the hope._ "

 

"I agree. I'm just saying that it'll be difficult to get everyone to agree to this plan." Tau replied, not wanting his caution to be misunderstood.

 

" _I don't see how, I mean... maybe from a recourse point to blockade the only known gap in the hyperspace barrier it might not be feasible at this time, but still I don't see how they would disagree with it?_ " Daniel pointed out, " _I got this idea from Ozpin and Ironwood no less, and Ironwood is one of the most prominent generals on Remnant._ "

 

"Well, then, we'd better move forward with our naval buildup, as we need something big to deliver if we're going to convince Syndulla and Gerrera on this plan." Tau said, praying to Iluvatar that the two stubborn Rontos would agree with their new plans for protecting the galaxy.

 

“How long until the forces of Remnant arrive, as time is of the essence, now more than ever.” Tau worriedly asked Daniel.

 

“ _Two days, at the most. And Janus and the Carthean ships will be here within thirty-six hours, as they’re battling a small force of the Knights of Olpaka in order to gain more information on the Nephilim, since they might have battled them before._ ” Daniel responded, which earned a relieved sigh from Tau, Ahsoka, and Celebion.

 

“Good. We’ll need to integrate them quickly into our forces if we’re going to stand a chance against the Empire. Send me the dossier on them, and I’ll inform our leaders to expect their arrival.” Ahsoka said, which Viridian and Daniel nodded in agreement to.

 

“Already done. Here you go.” Viridian said as he handed Ahsoka a datapad with all of the information on the Remnant and Carthean forces that would attend the summit.

“Thanks.” Ahsoka said, amazed at how well-prepared the two Jedi were at her request, and said, “Well, I’d better get to reading, as I’ve got a lot to catch up on in the next day or two. I’ll see you guys later.” She then pecked Tau’s cheek before she departed the ship, and everyone else then went to do their respective duties for the next few hours while Hera was in their care.

 

However, before Viridian could leave the Second Chance, Celebion stopped him, and said to him, “What made you change your mind on these superweapons, Viridian, as I recall that you argued pretty passionately for using them when the time came?”

 

Viridian, knowing that the Dúnedain Ranger wouldn’t stop unless he received nothing but the pure truth, he sighed in defeat, and said, “The prospect of being a father changed me, old friend. Seeing Kes so joyous at being able to have our child, and seeing all of the kids on Remnant train for their war against the Grimm, made me realize that, even if we use these weapons with the utmost restraint, they would still cause devastation to countless families and innocents. I don’t want that for anyone, not even the worst of my enemies, as their families don’t deserve to suffer for the actions of the sinners. That is what changed my mind.”

 

Celebion then nodded in approval and gratitude at his friend’s growing wisdom, and said, “Don’t worry, Viridian. We will defeat these evils that a threaten us, and we will do it without sacrificing who we are as people in order to do so.”

 

“I know. The only questions are what will the cost be for success, and what will happen to the galaxy if we fail.” Viridian said as the two friends walked out of the ship to see Jak grappling with Hera, and they both agreed to drop the conversation for another time, and just enjoy the peace that would soon give way to war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends the longest chapter that I’ve written in this story to date. And to think that it only took me a handful of days to write, as most of the last portion of it was written by me and Squasher over email a little while back. So, what did you think of the chapter? Did you like by blend of “Canon” and “Legends” material, as I enjoyed doing that very much? So, I suppose that I owe you an explanation or two: Yes, Tau and his friends were originally going to use the Empire’s superweapons to defend the galaxy from the Yuuzhan Vong, rogue Celestials, Nephilim, Knights of Olpaka, and Empire itself. But, after Squasher and I gave the matter a great deal of thought, we decided that the route that I wrote about in this chapter was a better way to go, as it wasn’t so close to using the Sith’s own tactics against them. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, as it may be the last one that I publish for a while, due to my increasing workload of school and my job, especially over the majority of public schools in my area being released for Spring Break next week, where I’ll be working for four days from 3/30/18 to 4/6/18. I’ll be busy with work, and two projects that I need to get started on soon, so my updates may not come as quickly as I’d like. I hope that you understand, and I will do my best to write as quickly and efficiently as I can. Well, I guess that that’s it for today, which is March 27, 2018. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone. How are you all doing on the warm day of March 28, 2018? I'm doing well, as I did some homework, mowed my parents' lawn, and planned to buy Injustice 2: Legendary Edition tomorrow. Hey, I just realized that I've written over three hundred pages, and over 160,000 words, in this story in under three months. I can't believe how much I've been inspired to write for a friend. By the way, I still want you to know that, over the next few weeks, I've got a lot of schoolwork to take care of, not to mention the load of work that I'll be getting in a couple of days, so my updates will be more sporadic than I would like. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but school and my job come first for me in life. Anyway, I'd better get started, as I have a lot of homework to continue tomorrow, and to prepare for my challenging four days of work that start on Friday. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me. Oh, before I forget, this chapter will have the RWBY characters appear, with many other forces appearing afterwards in order to aid the Shadow Alliance. Just a heads-up for those who haven't watched the show.

_Two Days Later_

_Eighteen Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah'mu_

_In the Lah'mu System_

_Onboard the_ Venerator _-class Star Destroyer_ Tenacious

Former Imperial Navy Captain Dalin Denimoor could hardly believe the visitors that had appeared in front of the Shadow Alliance fleet. As of now, the fleet had been comprised of ship designs that he was familiar with from his time in the Republic and Imperial Navy. However, he did not expect to see a fleet of twenty capital ships that looked like various variations of advanced ground tanks, despite advance warning from Tau Palpatine and Viridian Mallory.

Recovering from his euphoria at seeing such strange ships, he motioned for his communications-officer to open a transmission, and he authoritatively said, "This is Captain Denimoor of the Shadow Alliance's navy. To whom am I speaking to?"

Immediately after, a holographic projection came into focus, and revealed a man with black spectacles and a cane, and a younger man with a lightsaber attached to his belt. The older man then politely said, " _Greetings, Captain Denimoor. My name is Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy of Remnant. Jedi Knight Daniel Valo, who is in correspondence with his fellow Jedi, Viridian Mallory and Tau Palpatine, requested my delegation here. My group's head of security, Winter Schnee, is transmitting the required clearance codes now_."

"Very good, Headmaster Ozpin." Denimoor cordially replied before his officer's aide came to him, and handed him a datapad with the Remnant delegation's security codes.

After a thorough examination that took about a minute to complete, he said, "Well it looks like your codes check out, sir. Proceed to the following coordinates, and please don't deviate from the assigned landing designation, as we have so many delegations arriving to this summit, that it's as if the Senate was attending this meeting. Plus, it's a miracle that the Empire hasn't found us over a week ago."

" _Understood, Captain_." The Jedi that Dalin assumed to be Daniel said as the projection ended, and the twenty ships slowly made their way down to the planet's surface, all the while being followed by several starfighter escorts in order to ensure the safety of everyone within the system.

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_Just Outside the Erso's Hut_

"Momma, look! More ships!" Jyn Erso enthusiastically said as she saw the twenty tank-like ships land a few kilometers from the Erso's home, while Galen and Lyra Erso, along with Partisan leader Saw Gerrera, looked on with concern and dread at seeing such military-like ships appearing at this summit.

"I see them, Jyn. It's best if we stay away from those ships, as they don't look like they're here to greet new people." Lyra cautioned to Jyn, who pouted in response, before she nodded in understanding.

"I don't like this, Saw. All of these various forces, plus these new arrivals, it all points to this Shadow Alliance expecting an attack from the Empire." Galen said to his friend, who nodded his head in agreement.

"I know. But, we need to hear what they have to say, and deal with this Tau Palpatine, before we leave the system, as we can't afford to have two Palpatines running amok across the galaxy." Saw said, which worried the Ersos, as they would not partake in murder of a man that they knew nothing about.

"How about, instead of conspiring to kill my boyfriend, you hear what I have to say first?" Said a voice that Saw recognized as the former Jedi that failed to save his sister from falling to her death after a Separatist Gunship knocked her off a cliff.

Realizing that this meeting was inevitable, he sighed in defeat and said to the Togruta that walked towards the three friends, "Hello, Ahsoka. It's been a while."

"Good to see you too, Saw." Ahsoka sarcastically said as she introduced herself to the Ersos, and said, "It's good to meet you guys. My name is Ahsoka Tano."

"Ahsoka Tano? As in the former Jedi Padawan that left the Order after being falsely accused of bombing the Jedi Temple in the final months of the Clone War?" Lyra said, staring in shock at seeing a woman that deserted the Jedi during the Order's darkest hour.

"Unfortunately true, Mrs. Erso." Said a strong masculine voice that Saw recognized as belonging to Tau Palpatine, who then, after making his presence known, nodded his head in respect of the Ersos, and said to them, "Good afternoon. As you no doubt know, due to Saw's meddling and paranoia, my name is Tau Palpatine, and I am, to my greatest regret, the great-great-grandson of the current Emperor of the galaxy. But, to my credit, I am a Jedi Knight from seventy-two years in the future."

Before anyone could say anything at this absurd declaration, he added in praise of Ahsoka, "And, please don't say anything negative of Ahsoka, as I'm quite protective of my fierce girlfriend."

He then continued, "Is it okay if we go inside, as we have a lot to talk about regarding the summit, the Shadow Alliance, and, not to sound egomaniacal, me, as I imagine that you have so many questions about me and my lineage?"

"Perhaps that would be best, Jedi Palpatine." Lyra dully replied before she turned to Jyn, and said to her daughter, "Why don't the two of us go play with Vesse and the other kids, as your dad and Saw are going to be involved in a lot of grownup talk?"

Jyn pouted for a moment before she nodded her head in acceptance of the idea, and said," Okay, momma." The two female Ersos then went off to find the Tholothian/Human Jedi Padawan, along with the other children that were at this summit, leaving the four other adults alone to discuss critical matters.

"Well, what did you want to talk about, Palpatine? And, just know that I have over thirty men guarding us at all times, so, no moves that I don't like." Saw warned the young Jedi Knight.

"I'll give you props for honesty, Gerrera. But, I came to talk recruit Mr. Erso into helping our cause, as we need him to help sabotage the Empire's secret, and most lethal, battle station that's currently in construction over Geonosis. And, I came to convince you to rein in your more aggressive tendencies in order to keep the soul of the Shadow Alliance intact." Tau honestly answered.

Realizing that they had much to talk about, Galen began to head into his home, and said, "Come. We have much to talk about inside, if I am to join this organization of yours, Tau Palpatine."

Seeing that he had an opportunity to win Galen, and potentially, Saw, as well, over to his side, He nodded in gratitude, and said, "Of course, Mr. Erso." The couple then followed Galen into his home, with Saw coming in close behind them, issuing commands through his gauntlet, which Ahsoka, through her montrals, noticed, and shot a look at Tau, which he understood and subtly nodded in comprehension.

_Meanwhile, Six Kilometers From The Erso's Hut_

Velvet Scarlatina, a member of the Beacon Academy's Team CFVY, as well as a Faunus from the world of Remnant, took in the sights around her as the battalions of Atleasian Knights and Paladin Mechs departed their ships. She saw the various species and groups of the Shadow Alliance take in the new arrivals with curiosity and suspicion, which she understood, given the galaxy's aversion to what they considered the mechs to be battle droids, especially after the devastation that they unleashed upon the galaxy before their deactivation over four standard years ago.

As she and her team went to report in to Headmaster Ozpin for their assignments while on the remote world, she wished that her husband, Auron, a Miraluka/Human hybrid that was also a former Sith Apprentice of Vitiate's Sith Empire during the Galactic War, was with her, as she missed him dearly. She silently prayed to the gods, whether they were the gods of Remnant, or Iluvatar and the Valar of Arda that he was all right on the Sith world of Kesh, and that he was finding converts among the people there for his Light Side Sith Order that he wished to create.

Realizing that all she could do was hope and pray for Auron's safe return, she resolved herself to survive the coming battles for the Shadow Alliance, and found her inner fire to protect herself and her loved ones from all of the dangers across the galaxy.

_One Hour Later_

_Within the Erso's Hut_

Saw slammed his fists on the table in rage, cracking the stone finish as he growled out, "Damn those Imperial war mongers! How can they even conceive of weaponizing kyber crystals in order to build a station that's capable of destroying entire planets?! Are they that blind for their lust for absolute power that they can't see that they'll run the galaxy right into the ground?" He and Galen had just spent the last hour discovering that the Empire, under the rule of Darth Sidious, the Sith that masterminded the Clone War, was building superweapons that could destroy planets. What truly horrified them the most infamous of them, the first Death Star, was used to destroy two worlds, the Imperial penal colony of Despayre as a trial run, and the second and final time was used on Alderaan in order to send a message to the Rebel Alliance, before its destruction above the jungle moon known as Yavin IV.

"They're being run by two Sith, whose order is based upon mockeries of life and the Force since before its foundation." Tau said, sharing Saw's disgust with his ancestor's depravities, but keeping a cooler head.

He then saw Galen looking as pale as his ship, and consolingly said to him, "Hey, don't blame yourself, Galen. You couldn't have known the scope of Sidious's mad designs. And, what matters most is this: When you and your wife learned what the Empire was trying to do with the crystals, you left the Empire behind to look after each other."

"Krennic must have known about the Death Star's full capabilities, but he doesn't care. He's so blinded by his lust for power and authority, that he's abandoned all pretense of morality and ethics, and is willing to kill anyone to achieve his goals." Galen whispered, as the full scope of his former friend's web of lies became clear to him.

"And it's up to us to stop him, and my insane ancestor, before it's too late. We have a plan to destroy the Empire's entire arsenal of superweapons, but, Galen we need your help in order to do so." Tau replied, fearing that the former leading galactic authority on crystallography and energy enrichment would decline, but hoping for the best.

Galen then offered his hands in defeat, and asked, "What can I do? I don't know how the Empire's utilizing my research, or I'd help you find a weakness in it."

"That's where you're wrong, Mr. Erso." Ahsoka said, capturing both Saw and Galen's attention, before she continued, saying, "In Tau's timeline, you instilled a fatal weakness in the first Death Star that the Rebellion exploited in order to bring it down, along with Grand Moff Tarkin and a lot of Imperials, giving the fledgling Rebel Alliance a real chance at defeating the Empire. We need your help in order to do it again, because we need to destroy the Sith in order to take control of the Empire before the real war begins."

"'Real wars'? What in the blazes are you talking about, Ahsoka? Isn't the fight against the Empire and its rulers enough of challenge for you?" Saw incredulously asked, before he and Galen were each given datapads that carried information on every threat that the Shadow Alliance was aware of.

As both men scrolled over the files, they slowly became more and more horrified with the attacks that were coming, and, after they finished reading about the Celestial abomination known as Abeloth, and the fallen Maia that was dubbed "Sauron", Galen fearfully said, Are all of these threats that you mentioned genuine, Jedi Palpatine?"

"Those and so many more, Mr. Erso. The Yuuzhan Vong that are at this summit represent the bulk of the defectors within our ranks, and, in my time, the full might of the Yuuzhan Vong armada wrought such devastation and death across the galaxy, that the death toll by the end of their four-year war was at approximately 365 trillion sentient beings." Tau sadly said, before he continued, saying, to him and Saw, "That's why we need your help in sabotaging the Death Star, and Saw's help in building an army in order to overthrow the Empire so that a true Galactic Alliance can be born."

"Okay, this is just crazy. Are we honestly expected to believe that an actual descendant of the Emperor is a Jedi Knight that was sent here from the future by a Celestial in order to effectively defend the galaxy against the actual apocalypse itself? That's something out of s child's tale." Saw dismissively said, not willing to believe what he was being told about by the two Force-sensitives.

"Believe it or not, Saw, you need to help us, because the only chance that we have at surviving the darkness that is coming is through working together, and we need _everyone_ in the galaxy working together if we're going to survive what is to come." Ahsoka said, not willing to take no for an answer from her former Clone War comrade.

"You stay out of it, Tano! Why should I believe anything that you and your boyfriend are saying, especially after how you Jedi failed to save my sister, and lost the Clone War?!" Saw angrily shouted, his anger reaching a boiling point, and then was directed at Tau, saying, "And you! You probably grew up in the Jedi's precious temple, and never knew what it was like to have a real family, or lose everything that you held dear!"

At the mention of Edaan's family, Tau nearly lost it here and there, but, by remembering how Edaan dealt with his murderous anger, breathed in the anger, and let it go through an exhale. He then calmly said to Saw, "You're wrong, Saw. I do know what it's like to lose family, even though I'm just a lowly clone of a great Jedi Master of my time."

"You're a clone?" Galen disbelievingly said to Tau, who only nodded his head in confirmation of this declaration, before he said, "How? I thought that it couldn't be done? My friends in the cloning industry said that a Force-sensitive clone couldn't be cloned due to the psychosis that they developed."

"Not in this time, Galen. But, suffice it to say that, through a combination of Rakatan artifacts and lost and highly-advanced Imperial cloning technology, I was grown in a matter of days, before being saved from eternal servitude to the Sith of my time by my brother, Edaan Palpatine. He…" At this point, Tau was struggling to hold back the tears in his eyes, and said to both men, "He was the one who redeemed my ancestor's family name in our time, as he saved the galaxy from the Sith, and so many other threats, and I'm just trying to fight in order honor his memory as best as I can. I was programmed with all of his memories, including him losing his immediate family to the Sith and Abeloth during their occupation of Coruscant, and how he struggled tooth and nail in order to save someone from herself afterwards for the next thirteen years. Not to mention that I've been sent back in time to before even Edaan was born, so, aside from my crew, I have nothing left of the only people that considered me family. "

By this point, the tears were flowing freely from his eyes, and he angrily said to Saw, "So, don't you dare say that I don't know what it's like to lose family, Saw, because at least you've still got your home planet to save, while I'm just a wandering nomad, with my ship as my home."

Saw, after considering what Tau had said, said to the cloned Jedi, "Tell me about him."

Tau, surprised at what Saw said, astonishingly asked, "What?"

"Tell me about Edaan. What was he like? How did he fight? And, did he accomplish what he set out to do?" Saw asked, which Tau looked to Ahsoka and Galen in confusion, both of whom merely shrugged their shoulders in reply.

Tau, then realizing that this was his chance to get Saw and his Partisans on their side, he nodded his head in agreeing to tell the rebel leader onto his side, and began to speak, saying, "Well, he was always a kind and gentle soul, who always tried to bring out the best in people, even before he joined the Jedi Order of my time. He was also a very prodigious student of anything that he put his mind to, especially since he had the spirits of five Jedi teaching him the most advanced skills that most Jedi could only dream of wielding. But, he had the wisdom to know when or not to use it. He was a great leader and warrior, who… he was a beacon to the galaxy. Like so many others, he didn't just save people; he made them see the best parts of themselves, and helped them become not what they _were_ , but what they _could_ be. That is what drove him on, in order to save someone who inspired him when he reached his lowest point, after his family was killed by the Abeloth's ground quakes. He, like Revan and Meetra Surik before him, trained harder than any Jedi of their time, and, like Qui-Gon Jinn, used his powers, which were strengthened by Jacen Solo's esoteric knowledge of other Force traditions, to rally the entire galaxy to his Shadow Alliance against the Sith and their minions, just like Tau did against the Rakata when they invaded the Tython System at their apex of rule. And, in spite of all that he endured, he even fell in love and married a warrior of a woman, formed a family among a group of misfits, and helped save the one who saved him from his own despair."

"So, in essence, he was a saint." Saw said, not betraying any emotion when he spoke, but Tau could sense something akin to respect and… possibly envy, forming within the tan-skinned human.

"Oh, not even close, Saw." Tau admitted while chuckling in amusement at Saw's comment, before he continued, passionately saying, "He had great bouts of anger on occasion, and skirted the edge of the Dark Side on several occasions, many of which were justified, but still risky. He even defied the Jedi Council in order to pursue his mission of redemption, and nearly killed defenseless, but very wicked people, nonetheless, when he learned of the atrocities that they committed. But, in spite of all of his flaws, he was a truly exemplar man and Jedi, and that is the example that which I look up to, even if I cannot be him."

"Well, sounds like you have a lot to live up to, Tau." Saw said as he seemed to come to a realization, and then said, "How do you plan to take care of your ancestor, Tau, as I doubt that we can hold the most dangerous Sith Lord in who knows how long?"

"Oh, don't worry, Saw, we know that." Ahsoka said, grimly smiling as she continued, saying, "We're going to kill Sidious, and banish his spirit into the void where all dark souls go when they die, as Sidious has contingencies in place in the event that he dies."

"'Contingencies'? How is that possible, Ahsoka? Death is supposed to be final, and even a Sith Lord can't escape the grip of death." Galen said, not able to comprehend the supernatural that was being casually discussed by the two Force-sensitives.

"Not for the Sith. They've got a way to transfer one's consciousness into another body after their original one dies, and Sidious all but perfected the art of essence transfer through a massive supply of mindless clones of himself." Tau said, perplexing the two older men.

"Right… Well, regardless of the supernatural, I assume that you have a plan on how to take over Sidious's empire while reforming it into a force for good." Saw said, eager to get the matter back on track to the matter at hand.

"We have agents within the Imperial High Command, along with several rising stars that are sympathetic to our goals. For obvious safety reasons, we cannot say who they are, but, I'm sure that you'll eventually meet them, after we defeat the Empire in three weeks." Tau explained, catching the men's' attention with his last statement.

Saw, beginning to like this man more and more, smiled and said in realization, "You brought all these groups together in order to deal a blow against the Empire when they attack, didn't you?"

"Yes." Tau simply said, which horrified Galen that his family would soon be caught in a war zone. Before he could panic, the Jedi said, "Don't worry, Mr. Erso, your family, along with all of the noncombatants, will be prepped for evacuation before the battle begins. And, if our plan works like a cinch, the civilians will survive the battle in order to spread the word of the Empire's massive military defeat across the galaxy, along with the Shadowfeed networks that Berch Teller's cell are going to reactivate."

"Well, if you have a plan for these threats, and you can trust these agents of yours, then I can't afford to have you as an enemy, Tau." Saw said, earning a nod of gratitude from both Tau and Ahsoka.

Galen, meanwhile, was at a crossroads, as he wanted to help the Shadow Alliance keep the Empire from using his research for terrorizing the galaxy. On the other hand, he did not wish to leave his family in order to do so. He then said to Tau and Ahsoka, "I need to speak with my family about this. Give me a week to make my decision."

Ahsoka, who nodded in understanding, sympathetically said, "Take as much time as you need, Galen. This is a decision that your family should be a part of, as it will impact them as much as the galaxy."

"Thank you." Galen gratefully said before he got up from his seat in order to go find his wife and daughter, and tell them of the decision that he had to make. The three allies of his followed him, and, once they left the hut, they saw Lyra watching Jyn playing with several children and their parents that were among the various groups, including a formerly deceased Tholothian Jedi Youngling who was named Vesse Mallory, and was the daughter of Jane Mallory and the late Elie Mallory. The demented Clone Trooper Keen killed her, before Iluvatar resurrected her after the Battle of Erebor, which then led to the defeat of the forces of Sauron and his remaining loyal Yuuzhan Vong on Arda.

Everyone, even the grizzled Saw, smiled at the kids having fun before they were all going to be caught in the middle of a war zone. Jyn then saw her father watching her, and she said, "Papa!" she then ran towards him, and enveloped him in a fierce hug, one that he eagerly returned, and, upon seeing her father's sad eyes, she worriedly asked, "What's wrong, Papa?"

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it, Stardust." Galen reassuringly said to his daughter, before he turned to speak to both her and Lyra, and said, "We just have to make some new plans, that's all."

Lyra, realizing that there was more to it than that, decided not to ruin the moment by asking what those three rebel leaders wanted with her husband at this moment. She then saw a Dathomirian woman with white hair walking towards them, and she immediately recognized her as Asajj Ventress, a former Dark Jedi and Confederate assassin that worked for Count Dooku during the Clone War before her supposed death during the Outer Rim Sieges.

Gripped by a sudden fear within her for her family, she raised her hidden blaster in defense, but the Dark Side user simply said in annoyance, "Please don't bother with that weapon. We both know that it's no good against me. And, besides, I'm on your side. I came in with the Remnant delegation for Tau's summit. Tau can vouch for me if you don't believe my words."

"Indeed I can, Mrs. Erso." Tau exuberantly said as he came up from behind her, along with Saw and Ahsoka, who each shared looks at disbelief at the woman that was standing in front of them all.

What shocked them even further was how Tau gripped Asajj's arm in a warrior's greeting, and then the latter said, "Well, I see that you've been busy, Tau."

"Heh. I could say the same of you, Asajj. How is Auron and his order doing? Oh, before I forget, how's Qrow doing? Did you finally get him to stop drinking?"

"Not yet, but he's getting there. And, Auron is making progress with his recruitment efforts on Kesh, but he's still got a long way to go. In the meantime, I'm leading his order in his absence, and it's a challenge, but a good one, nonetheless." Asajj said before he turned to see the flabbergasted faces of both Ahsoka and Saw, and said to Ahsoka, "Well, well. Ahsoka Tano. I see that you got yourself two replacement lightsabers, and are here for the summit. I take it that Tau recruited you for his Shadow Alliance, then?"

"That, and more, Ventress." Ahsoka cautiously said, before Tau walked up beside her, and she said, "What are you even doing here, as I thought that you were killed after the Battle of Boz Pity?"

"Long story short, I survived due to a Sith meditative trance, fled to the Unknown Regions with several Clone Troopers, and later joined up with several surviving Jedi and their allies in order to survive the threats there. Let me tell you, those guys, not to mention the friends that I made on Remnant, really changed me for keeps." Asajj explained to the Togruta woman.

"Okay…" Ahsoka said before Vesse walked up to her, and the she said in a cautious warning, "Careful, Vesse."

"Don't worry, Ahsoka. She's on our side. I can sense the change in her clearly through the Force." Vesse reassuringly said to her friend, while Saw muttered under his breath, " _I miss the days when things were simpler, and not so wrapped up in the supernatural._ "

"Anyway… It take it that the other teams are all here, then?" Tau said, eager to move on to another topic, one that everyone could focus on instead of just gawking over Ventress's open allegiance to the Light Side of the Force.

"Yep. Teams DRAV, RANT, RWBY, SSSN, JNPR, CNME, CFVY, along with General Ironwood, Ozpin, Winter, and all of the battalions of mechs and soldiers are off their ships. So far, the other cells are pretty suspicious of them, but no one's made an aggressive move as of yet." Asajj said, making Tau breathe a sigh of relief at the small mercy that he had just heard about.

"Oh, thank Iluvatar for that small victory." Tau said in gratitude over the lack of hostilities, before he said, "Well, we'd better get over there in order to make sure that things stay civil." He then turned to talk to Saw, the Ersos, and Ahsoka, and said to them, "We'll see you guys later."

With that done, the two friends made their way to the Remnant camp, while everyone present, aside from Vesse and Jyn, mentally added yet another absurd event that occurred since either, joining the Shadow Alliance, or since this summit began.

_One Day Later_

_Seventeen Days_ _Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah'mu_

_Onboard the_ Imperial I _-class Star Destroyer_ Retaliation

Grand Moff Trachta, along with Wullf Yularen and Captain Thrawn, listened intently as Shonn Volta have her report on the Shadow Alliance's growing armies and navies, and what they learned about this group from the Unknown Regions world that was dubbed Remnant. According to the admiral, this force was comprised of twenty capital ships, several teams of hunters, the equivalent of Jedi in the greater galaxy, several of Remnant's high-ranking leaders, and several battalions of droids and soldiers for the armies and navies of the Shadow Alliance.

Unfortunately, she had yet to recover a copy of the dossiers on each of the teams, but she reassured them that it would not be long before she did so, as she had the assistance of CT-7567, which astounded Wullf, given that Captain Rex was listed as KIA on Mandalore during Order Sixty-Six. But, the two former comrades could not take any time to speak, as they each had their respective missions to fulfill for the Shadow Alliance.

Once Shonn ended her transmission, Wullf said to his two conspirators, "Well, at this rate, the Jedi and their allies might stand a chance at winning this battle."

"Let us hope so, Colonel. Otherwise, there won't be anyone left of stopping Sidious's designs for the galaxy." Thrawn said in observation, before he continued, saying, "The fleet is at sixty percent readiness, and, the numbers are troubling." He then activated a holotable that was in the room, and it revealed an image of the still-growing Imperial fleet, which was comprised of twenty-two _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, fifteen _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, twelve _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, and thirty Imperial Light Cruisers in orbit above the Sith moon of Khar Shian.

"You of all people should know, Thrawn, that numbers aren't everything in a battle. After all, you managed to defeat the Vagaari and Master C'Boath through cunning and precision, not brute force, as Sidious and Vader are trying to do." Trachta instructively said, remembering how he and a vastly outnumbered team of prisoners from the Ghost Prison, along with Laurita Tohm and the two Sith Lords, managed to defeat General Ghentis and his army of renegade Imperial cadets.

"I know, Grand Moff. I am merely stating a truth that this will be a difficult battle for our allies to win. Still, the Jedi have a knack for pulling off miraculous feats, and these new allies are an unknown variable, especially these Remnant forces, as their military doctrine holds many truths and ideas that speak highly of their adaptability and innovativeness. So, the Shadow Alliance does indeed stand a chance of winning this fight." Thrawn said in acknowledgment of Trachta's point.

"Well, we had better get ready for our roles to play, because we can't afford to let anyone know of our plans, especially the clearance codes that I gave Tau and his friends for their mission to destroy that Sith shrine underneath the Jedi Temple." Wullf said, remembering how, according to the Jedi, Sidious was trying to use it to rewrite all of reality to his own ends, and how the Jedi and their allies had a plan to destroy it for good.

"Personally, I wouldn't mind if Pestage and Amedda died in their mission. Those two boot-lickers deserve worse for playing us all like game pieces for their master's plans." Trachta off-handedly said, which earned a chuckle from Wullf, and an amused smile from Thrawn.

"One can only hope, old friend." Wullf said in agreement, as the three comrades left the ship in order to carry out their responsibilities for their false masters.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends another chapter of my story. What did you guys think? Were the characters believable enough, and did you enjoy the RWBY cameos, as well as Ventress's appearance? Oh, and I owe you an explanation for Saw. Yes, his sudden change of perspective is crazy, but, now that he knows about the Yuuzhan Vong and more supernatural threats, he is more amenable to the idea of an alliance. Don't worry, for now, he'll just have a more wait-and-see approach for how Tau and the others plan to overthrow the Empire, and what they plan to replace it with afterwards. So, did you guys like the big revelations in this chapter, such as Ventress and Vesse making an appearance, because those are quite the shockers? And, the summit is getting closer and closer, and the Empire is preparing for its attack. How it will go out is anyone's guess (Well, not for me and Squasher, but I'm sure that you know what I mean.). I guess that that's it for March 31, 2018, as I've got some homework to take care of, and so little time to do it in for today. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	39. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone. Surprised to hear from me again on March 31, 2018? Well, don’t be, as I did an online quiz today, which took out a good part of my homework for the week. So, how are you all doing since I last heard from you? I’m doing well, as I’ve got the whole house to myself for a few days while my family is enjoying their Spring Break. Unfortunately, I still have school and work, so I have to stay at home. Well, on the bright side, it gives me plenty of time to work on my story. So, when we last left our heroes, Saw and Galen were persuaded to at least hear what Tau and the others’ plan was for taking the fight to the Empire, the RWBY forces had arrived, and the both forces were still amassing their forces for the Siege of Lah’mu to begin in twenty days. This chapter will involve a lot of planning, many characters getting their debut, and the Shadow Alliance beginning their plans against Sidious’s best Dark Side weapon before he can use it again. Boy, will he have a fit once his precious Sith shrine is destroyed. If only it was an official story. Oh well. At least we still have fanfiction, and Squasher’s magnificent vision. Well, I’ve spoken enough for now. I’ll get started on writing. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you. 
> 
> (April 1, 2018 Addendum) Good evening, everyone. How are you doing on Easter Sunday, and, on a lesser note, April Fool’s Day? Just a note: Please don’t prank me, as I already had one guy give me a joke that really had me going in a bad way, so I would appreciate it if no one else would try to prank me. So, on another note, what did you do today, as I went to church early, got about four hours of work in today, and did some homework before getting to work on my story? I’m enjoying home alone for now, as I still get to speak with my family through the phone. It’s too bad that I’ve got work and class to worry about for the next four days. Well, I’d better get to writing, as I’ve only got a few hours left in the day.

_Within the Lah’mu System_

_On the Planet Lah’mu_

_Inside the Remnant Camp_

 

Ventis could feel his heartbeat rising with every step he took, as it had been several months since he had seen his son, and he was nervous at seeing him again so soon after he was saved by him and his friends. He then wondered if Naomi Valo was with the delegation as well, and was afraid of seeing her again, given how Gallies so callously abused her all of those decades ago.

 

Realizing that all of this worrying wouldn’t make his fears go away, he willed his heartbeat to calm down, and came across General James Ironwood overseeing the deployment of Remnant’s military forces, and, when the general noticed him, he nodded in respect to the Jedi Apprentice, and respectfully said to him, “Jedi Uriel.”

 

Ventis then nodded in equal respect to one of the members of the Atlesian Council, and said, “General. How goes the integration of the troops within our allies?”

 

“Not fast enough for my taste, but I can understand the need for unity among the groups. I only hope that we can act in synch when the time comes.” Ironwood brashly, but sympathetically, said to the father of one of his team’s leaders.

 

“Well, I guess that it’s in the gods’ hands, now.” Ventis said, referring to the Valar, but knowing that many people in Remnant still worshipped the old gods, kept the name neutral.

 

“That it is, Jedi Uriel. So, do you have any particular reason as to why you’ve come into my people’s camp, or are you just wandering about?” Ironwood said with just a hint of mockery in his tone at what he perceived to be laziness on the Jedi’s part.

 

“On the contrary, General. I’m looking for Daniel and his team, as it’s been a while since I’ve seen my son, and would like the chance to catch up with him before the fighting begins.” Ventis said, not willing to give any ground to the blunt man.

 

“Ah, I see. Well, I can’t find any fault in that.” Ironwood courteously said to Ventis before he continued, saying, “He’s with his team, team RWBY, and Cinder. They’ll be found on the _Dauntless_.”

 

“Thank you, General. I’ll leave you to it, then.” Ventis respectfully said before he nodded his head in appreciation for Ironwood’s help in his search, and the two men went their respective ways.

 

In a matter of moments, he saw Cinder Fall, the current Fall Maiden after Amber’s incapacitation, talking with the former mercenary and current member of Team DRAV, Rook, and, after taking in a deep breath of oxygen, walked towards them. While he privately hoped that neither of them would notice him, he soon failed in his efforts to hide when Ruby Rose, the leader of Team RWBY, noticed him, and loudly said, “Oh, hey, Ventis! What’s up?”

 

Silently cursing Ruby for not noticing how he was trying to keep a low profile for a while longer, he forced himself to smile, and say through gritted teeth, “Hey, Ruby. I’m doing fine.” Once he willed himself to stop gritting his teeth, he asked Ruby, “Is Daniel with you?”

 

“Yeah. He’s… Wait, were you trying to speak with Daniel, and I interrupted you, didn’t I? Well, so much for learning how to not be socially awkward Sorry, Ventis.” Ruby embarrassingly said as she rubbed the back of her head, making her team, Cinder, and even Ventis smile at her bashfulness.

 

“Ah, don’t worry about it, Ruby. Just learn from it, and we’ll call it even.” Ventis said as he waved a hand in order to put the matter behind them.

 

“Well, I see that becoming a Jedi has already begun to change you for the better.” Daniel said as he came out from his tent, and came to embrace his biological father in a firm hug, one that Ventis awkwardly returned, as he was still rather ashamed of Gallies’s past transgressions.

 

“It’s good to see you again, Daniel.” Ventis said as he let go of his son, and turned to see Viridian, Rook, Vega, Cinder, Ruby, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long, and said to all of them, “It’s good to see you all again.”

 

He then awkwardly chuckled before he said, “Listen, is it all right if I have a few minutes alone with my son, as I haven’t spoken to him in a couple of months, and I want to catch up with him before the summit begins?”

 

“Sure. We’ll give you guys some privacy.” Vega understandingly said to the elder Jedi, and the eight friends and teammates left the tent in order to leave father and son alone to see how the other was doing.

 

“So, how has being a part of an official team been, Daniel?” Ventis said in an effort to start a good conversation with his son.

 

“I can’t complain, Ventis. I’ve been learning a lot about the world of Remnant, and been learning a lot of good skills in the real world. It’s actually a lot like the Jedi Temple, only that it’s a bit less rigid, and more flexible, in its teaching methods.” Daniel replied, remembering all of the combat, history, science, and mechanical lessons that he learned from both the Jedi Temple and Beacon Academy.

 

His expression then turned serious, and said, “I see that journeying with Tau has helped you come a long way since the day that I saved you from Gallies.” 

 

"Please don’t remind me of my past life, Daniel. When I was Gallies, I did so many terrible things in my life, it would be impossible to remember them all." Ventis practically begged his son.  
  
"I know I studied Gallies's record." Daniel factually said.   
  
Ventis looked away for a moment, closed his eyes, and pinched his nose with a sigh, before looking back at Daniel, "I am done with the suicide thing. I want to know what can I do for," he paused for a moment, "Your mother to make things right, to repair what I have done?"  
  
Daniel's eyes went wide in surprise, "Uh... well, uh... to tell you the truth she doesn't want to see you. It took a lot for her to even agree to save you from your demons."  
  
"I don't blame her at all and I know that reparations will be massive on my part, and I doubt I will ever earn her forgiveness." Ventis, while disappointed in the response, said in understanding, as he vividly recalled the horrific trauma that he put her through when she was a Padawan and teenager.   
  
Daniel sighed, "Not only that but well..."  
  
"Daniel I am not interested in marrying her, she already has a good man in her life, she just needs to get past all her current obstacles and marry him." Ventis said, before he grimaced and said, "Besides... that would be... awkward."  
  
"Well yeah but uh... I will speak to her and see if we can arrange a meeting." Daniel proposed, wanting the wound that existed between his parents to heal as much as it could.   
  
"Don't force the issue... she doesn't have to see me if she doesn't want to." Ventis cautioned, not wanting Daniel’s good intentions to poison the already strained relationship between the two Jedi even further than it already was.

 

“I know, Ventis. But, I guess that I’m still young enough to hold out hope for the impossible.” Daniel said in acknowledgement of his father’s point. He then said, “So, I take it that you’ve been busy as well, father?”

 

“Heh, don’t I know it. I helped destroy an ancient Sith spirit, met a bunch of Jedi and Mandalorians, and got a lot of help from Celebion and the others on my despair.” Ventis replied, earning him a pat on the back from his son.

 

“Good. I’m glad that they’re helping you with your issues, as I knew that you deserved a second chance. So, any chance that you’ll want to meet with your brother soon, because I know that he’ll want you to see him after all of this time?” Daniel asked.

 

“I’ve actually begun to write a letter to him, but it’s hard, especially since I haven’t seen him in some time.” Ventis admitted, making Daniel smile in amazement at how far that he had come from the despair-wracked state that he was in since he last spoke with him.

 

“Good. He’ll be grateful to hear from you after all of these years.” Daniel said in relief.

 

“Don’t I know it. So…” Ventis then hesitated, before he asked, “How’s your team doing on your missions?”

 

"Well we're down a man thanks to your teacher sending him off to an unknown world, I mean how are we supposed to stop the last two destructive nihilists with just three team members?" Daniel exasperatingly said to his father.  
  
"I'm sure Tau will send him back when you finally find Shadow Bringer and Umbra." Ventis reassuringly said to Daniel.  
  
Daniel sighed, "Auron would certainly appreciate it, the bastard killed a member of his family."  
  
"It truly is sad that Ruby had to grow up without her mother." Ventis sighed.  
  
"She is a sweetheart isn't she? She certainly captured Vega's heart." Daniel chuckled, "We always used to joke that he and Vesse would end up together... Viridian would act like a big brother and stop that, maybe if things played out differently."  
  
"Vesse is alive." Ventis countered.   
  
"She's now in a body that's three years younger than Vega's, needless to say, Vega finds it a little... awkward." Daniel awkwardly replied.

 

Ventis then nodded in understanding before he slowly looked outside in order to make sure that no one was nearby. One he made sure that they were alone, he whispered to his son, “Any luck on your quest?”

 

“Not much. Whoever did the crime covered their tracks well. Just tell me that the cargo is secured- Actually, don’t tell me, I don’t want to risk giving anything away to our unknown enemy.” Daniel whispered to his father, before he sensed someone nearing the tent, and loudly said, “So, how’s your Jedi training going, Dad?”

 

Ventis, immediately catching on, said, “Excellent. Tau’s quite the teacher when it comes to dealing with personal demons, and using my abilities for good. I guess that he’s a good leader for more than just military matters, just like his brother was.”

 

Vega then entered the tent, and said, “Sorry for interrupting your father-son time, but Jak, Ulra, Uriah, and Jasmine are getting ready for their mission to Coruscant, and we’d better wish them luck, as they’ll need every advantage that they can get if they’re going to escape that death trap.”

 

Both Jedi were relieved that Vega was the one that was waiting for them, and not the traitor that stole a fragment of Amber’s soul, and Daniel said, “All right. We’d better say goodbye, or Jak and Jasmine will never let us live it down.”

 

_Ten Minutes Later_

_At Landing Pad Six_

“May Iluvatar guide your steps as you enter the dragon’s den, guys.” Viridian warmly said as he gave his three friends a fierce hug before they entered their YT-2400 Light Freighter.

 

“And may the _manda_ watch over you as you prepare to face off against the Emperor’s best guards.” Mij said as he saw Daniel approach the group, while Ventis stayed at a distance from everyone due to the distrust that Rarok held for him. The Mandalorian medic then said, “Well, look who made it in time to say farewell to their friends before they walk to the gates of Chaos.”

 

“Oh, stow it, Gilamar. They’re not a bunch of little kids. Besides, they have the home field advantage, not to mention that they have a bunch of bugs all across the Temple in order to stay ahead of the Imperials.” Etain said, not willing to allow her friend to belittle the young Shadow Alliance members on their vital mission for their cause. She then continued, saying, “Besides, they’ve got Arseven and Uriah to help them out, and Arseven’s a savant at keeping ahead of the Imperials, while Uriah’s a master hunter.”

 

“Relax, Etain. I was just messing with them. It was just a little humor before they infiltrate the heart of evil. May the Force be with you guys.” Mij said in complete seriousness before he left to give the friends a chance to say their farewells in case they failed in their mission.

 

“Thanks, Mij.” Tau said before he turned to the holographic projections of Lady Galadriel and Gandalf the Grey, and said to them, “Well, we’d all better prepare for our part of the mission, because once Sidious knows that the shrine is destroyed, he’ll launch his attack in order to try and snuff out this spark before it ignites.”

 

“ _Indeed, Tau Palpatine. We have begun preparations for the ritual that will amplify the cleansing abilities of the Jedi, and us, and will be ready to begin in just over two weeks._ ” Galadriel said, before Tau nodded in appreciation of the Noldor queen’s support of the Jedi’s gamble in expunging a dark part of the Sith’s legacy from the galaxy.

 

“ _How many Jedi and allies have arrived at your summit, Tau?_ ” Gandalf inquired, his hope and fear for his friends evident in his voice as he spoke.

 

“Enough to invade three star systems, Gandalf.” Viridian said, before he continued, saying, “We’ve got many rebel cells, ex-Confederate, Republic, and Imperial forces, two small but lethal armies of Mandalorians and Yuuzhan Vong, the armies that you and Remnant sent to us, and over thirty Jedi on the world. We just might succeed in this first battle against the Empire.”

 

“ _Don’t forget to trust in Iluvatar and yourselves, my friends._ ” Gandalf cautiously said, before he looked back at something on Arda, and said, “ _We have to go for now, as we still have many preparations to make before the ritual begins. Stay strong, my friends. We’ll be with you when it matters most. Oh, and, we’re glad that your original plan has changed._ ” With that, the Istari wizard and Elven queen ended their holonet transmission, and left the group alone to say goodbye to their friends.

 

“Well, I guess this is goodbye for now. Don’t worry, I’ll keep these three from getting into any more trouble than we’ll already be in when we leave.” Ulra said as she, Jasmine, Jak, and Uriah, a Cathar Jedi Revanchist from the Mandalorian Wars before he was freed from carbonite by Rarok, and joined Daniel and Vega in their mission to help restore the Jedi Order, prepared to enter their ship for the duration of their mission.

 

“Hey.” Rarok said to Uriah before he gripped the Cathar Jedi’s arm in a warrior’s farewell, and said, “Stay alive, my friend.”

 

“You do the same as well, as you’ve got a team to look after now.” Uriah said as he smiled a toothy grin at the unlikely friend.

 

With that done, the five allies entered their ship, and their ship quickly left the planet in order to depart for Coruscant.

 

When the Jedi felt that the YT-2400 left the system, they turned to the former Five-Oh-First captain, and Viridian said to them, “Is there a reason that you’re here right now, Rex? I figured that you’d want to keep an eye on that Imperial admiral that was here to defect, just in case that she tried to pull any stunts.”

 

“Yeah, about that…” Rex nervously said as rubbed his head, and began to say, “She’s reporting to her superiors about the mission right now, so that-”

 

“Wait, wait, wait. Hold on, there, Rex. Did you just say that Volta is reporting our plans to her superiors, and no one told us about it before?!?” Viridian said before he began to storm off to Shonn’s shuttle, while Rex, Kes, and Tau quickly gave pursuit.

 

As they tried to calm Viridian down, Rex said, “It’s not what you think, Viridian. It’s just so that they can give Ulra and the others the proper clearance codes in order to infiltrate Coruscant undetected. And, so that they can ensure that Trachta joins our side.”

 

“Grand Moff Trachta knows about us?!? When I get my hands on that woman, I’m going to make her wish she was never born!!!” Viridian hatefully said before Kes stopped him, and he struggled to calm down, as he did not wish to shout at his wife. He said, as calmly as he could, “What, Kes?”

 

“Viridian, I don’t think that you should speak to Shonn until you calm down. You’re not centered in the Force, and your anger could… make you do something you would forever regret.” Kes worriedly said, which quelled Viridian’s rage, and he showed remorse at how he acted towards his friends.

 

“Look, I don’t like it either, but the fact of the matter is that we need more allies, and a Grand Moff, especially one of my ancestor’s closest friends and advisors, is not one that we can afford to brush away due to personal issues. Besides, they discovered Thrawn and Yularen’s affiliation to us, so they forced our hand. It was either this, or he would get them both killed for their treachery.”  Tau said, hoping that Viridian would understand their precarious position.

 

Viridian then sighed in exasperation, and said, “Can’t anything just go right in our lives even once?”

 

“It’s our lot in lives, Viridian.” Rex said, while concurring with Viridian’s complaint. He then offered a compromise, and said to him, “Look, why don’t you take a few days to collect yourself, and I can introduce you to Volta. Fair warning, she hates the Jedi and the Republic due to them killing her family, and so many of her people during the Clone War.”

 

“Well, a lot of people have reason to think that way.” Viridian said in slight agreement, despite his disgust at agreeing with a high-ranking Imperial on anything, especially one who hated the Jedi so vehemently.

 

Daniel, hoping to take his friend off of such a sensitive topic to his friend, said, “Well, why don’t we introduce you to our teammates and friends, as we need to get to know each other well if we expect to work together in this suicide mission of ours?”

 

“Sounds like a good idea, Daniel.” Kes said as she took her husband’s hand in his own, and they went to meet the various members of Teams DRAV, RANT, RWBY, SSSN, JNPR, CNME, CFVY.

 

_Two Days Later_

_Sixteen Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah’mu_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

“Well, this game has been rather stimulating. It’s nice to get a break from both Academy and Jedi training, and just relax with my friends.” Nephrites Messer, a member of Team RANT, said as he ended a game of Pazaak with his teammates. Tau, and Ahsoka, while Team RWBY was learning Teräs Käsi from A’Shrarad and Arden, Celebion told Team CNME of the Yuuzhan Vong’s invasion of Arda, and Jarael was showing the other teams her expertise in cybernetic enhancements in the event that any of them needed to apply prosthetics to anyone.

 

“Don’t we know it, Nephrites.” Alex said in concurrence, while he put down his hand of Pazaak on the table, and Arnine gathered the cards together in order to rebuild the deck for when anyone decided to play another round of the game.

 

“Hey, at least you didn’t have to cheat in order to win, buddy.” Teras Miekka sarcastically said as he got up from his seat in order to stretch, while everyone else looked amused at their friend’s harsh humor.

 

“So, what does everyone want to do now?” Tau curiously asked, as he rarely had a chance to relax with everyone due to his increasingly busy schedule.

 

“Well, I wish that we could stay, Tau, but we’ve got to train for the battle to come. It’s been fun playing Pazaak with you and your girlfriend. We’ll have to do it again sometime.” Rarok said as he and his team began to exit the shuttle.

 

“Likewise, Rarok.” Tau said as he prepared to see how Viridian was holding up with his meeting with Rex and Shonn Volta, and help mend another wound of the Clone War.

 

Ahsoka, knowing where Tau was going, said to him, “Don’t worry about Viridian. He can take care of himself.”

 

“It’s not Viridian I’m worried about, luv. It’s Volta and her hatred towards us that concerns me.” Tau said in complete seriousness, before he prepared to exit the ship, and then said to Ahsoka, “You know, we should do this again someday soon, as I saw you having a lot of fun out there. Hey, maybe we can have a Pazaak tournament, and have a fortune as the grand prize. I recall that Wynn Dorvan, the last Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance in my time, won a big Jedi-organized sabacc tournament, and won the grand prize of one hundred million credits.”

 

“The Jedi organized a sabacc tournament? Well, they must have been quite the partiers in your time, Tau.” Ahsoka astonishingly said.

 

“Oh, trust me, Ahsoka; they weren’t even close to party-goers. That was just a ruse to slip past- Actually, you can just read about it in the historical records, as I’ve got them all in the _Second Chance_ ’s database, and we’re on the clock.” Tau began to explain before reason took over.

 

He then exited the ship, and heard Ahsoka call out, “Don’t forget that you still owe me a real date, and that does not count!”

 

Before he could go anywhere else, he saw Winter Schnee, Qrow, and Daniel waiting for them, and Tau politely asked, “Is there anything that I can help you guys with, as I’m kind of in a hurry?”

 

“We just need your help on figuring out who one of our potential allies is, Jedi Palpatine. After that, we’ll get out of your hair.” Winter sympathetically said, as, like Tau, she had so many details to take care of in order to ensure that the Shadow Alliance’s summit went off without a hitch.

 

“All right, lay it on me. That is how the kids say it these days, isn’t it, Daniel?” Tau asked while Ahsoka looked on with curiosity at the two unknown individuals.

 

Before she could say anything, Daniel said, “It’s about a Jedi Temple Guard that escaped the Temple as it fell to the Empire. We need you to send a burst transmission to the guard in order to confirm her coming for the battle to come, as she want to see you in order to confirm that… well, you are who you say you are, and not an Inquisitor or something worse.”

 

“All right.” Tau said, understanding the Jedi Guard’s caution, due to his bloodline, as he reached for the datapad that Daniel was holding.

  
"There really isn't much information on your guardsmen, is there?" Qrow drawled, interrupting Tau from taking the datapad.  
  
"It was done that way on purpose." Ahsoka answered, interjecting herself into the conversation with her boyfriend, remembering with no fondness how one guardsman callously took her Padawan braid away from her when she was wrongly expelled from the Jedi Order.   
  
"Why?" Winter asked curiously, wondering what could make such security measures so necessary for a body of galactic peacekeepers.   
  
"So they would remain detached from their fellow Jedi... who they may have to kill if it comes down to it." Daniel answered as he looked up from a data pad, and then continued, saying, "A guard's life... is extremely lonely. There's no way I could do it."

 

“Agreed. We’re all too attached to people to live so numbly.” Tau said in concurrence before he took the datapad, and said into it. _“_ This is Tau Palpatine. Are you the Temple Guard that wishes to aid us?”

 

He waited a moment to do so, and the woman, immediately replied, a message appearing almost instantaneously.

 

_I am._

“You’re short and to the point, aren’t you, miss?” Tau observingly said, eager to get some reaction out of the mysterious Jedi.

 

_It helps me stay alive when I’m on the run. Do you truly wish to aid the revival of the Jedi Order?_

 

“I do. It was what my family would have wanted from me.” Tau cryptically said, not wishing to give too much away to this stranger.

 

 _So, you are indeed from the future, as the Jedi of this time don’t typically allow families_.

 

“Heh. Trust me, a lot of things are different when I’m from, miss. But, for the most part, the Order has grown in many good ways, and its numbers were at over two thousand when I was sent back in time.” Tau replied, looking back fondly at how much the Jedi Order had grown thanks to Edaan’s heroic acts.

 

_Perhaps we can work together after all, Jedi Palpatine. I’ll be there when the time comes. As a token of goodwill, a warning, my contacts informed me that two Imperials are hunting for your Padawan, and will attack the summit on Vader’s orders. They couldn’t tell me anything more, so stay alert. May the Force be with you, fellow Jedi Knight. And, tell Ahsoka Tano that I’m sorry for not doing the right thing when it mattered most._

 

“Thank you.” Tau said in gratitude before handing the datapad back, and said to everyone, “We’ve got her support for the coming battle, and a warning that my apprentice is in danger from two Imperials. And, Ahsoka,” He then paused in order to prepare himself for whatever his girlfriend would do next, and said, “She wanted to tell you that she was sorry for not standing by you when you were falsely accused of treason.”

 

Ahsoka, instead of lashing out at anyone, walked up to Tau, and enveloped him in a gentle hug that he quickly returned, and she, with many tears falling from her eyes, then said, “Thank you for telling me the truth, Tau. I can’t wait to see her, and thank her for her simple act of kindness.”

 

“You got it, Ahsoka.” Tau gently said, carefully let go of her, and then said, “I have to go check up on Viridian and the others, as I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

 

“I know. Try not to get yourself killed.” Ahsoka said, some of her old snippiness returning, which made everyone smile at the loving affection between the couple.

 

“Hey, I can’t get killed now, as I’ve got too much to live for.” Tau nonchalantly said as he then began to run to the _Lambda_ -class shuttle that the three allies and friends were on, and he sensed the presence of Kal Skirata there as well, which greatly worried Tau, as he knew how tense the alliance was between the Mandalorian and Jedi Knight. He prayed that Rex could keep the three people alive and intact until he arrived.

 

_Ten Minutes Later_

 

As Tau prepared to enter the Imperial shuttle, he sensed the tension in the ship dissipate in a matter of moments, which made him fear that someone onboard the shuttle had died.

 

His worry now amplified to terrible levels, he used the Force to open the shuttle doors, and rushed inside, only to find laughter going on between the four Shadow Alliance members, which baffled the Jedi clone beyond comprehension.

 

As soon as Viridian saw him, he calmed down enough to ask in-between laughs, “Tau? What are you doing here? And why do you look like you’re about to have a seizure?”

 

“ME?!? Why are you guys all acting all buddy-buddy all of a sudden? I thought that you all would have killed each other by now?” Tau said, not willing to believe what was going on in front of him.

 

“Actually, we have a lot more in common than we would have thought, Tau.” Viridian said, before he motioned for Shonn. He then said, “We all lost so much due to Sidious’s machinations, and we each lost loved ones due to Vader and his lust for power. We each also have a chance to save our people from Sidious, and that we need to put our grudges aside, no matter how justified that they might seem, and band together if we can survive the wars to come.”

 

Rex then said, “Plus, we each have a score to settle with the Sith and their lackeys, and there’s more than enough people to share the justice with.”

 

“And, we each have people that are counting on us to lead them, so, like Viridian said, this isn’t the time for petty grievances.” Kal commented.

 

When Kal finished speaking, Shonn came up to face Tau, and said, “I look forward to helping you all in the fight against the Empire, as long as you help my people survive the purges to come.”

 

Tau could only look stupefied at this genuine gesture of friendship, and, when no one expected it, he fainted to the ground in complete shock of Shonn’s complete reversal of her anti-Jedi sentiment.

 

As he fell into unconsciousness, he could hear Viridian yell out, “Tau!” He then nervously said, “I guess that we surprised him with too much news at once.”

 

“We’d better get him to his ship, and have Jarael take a look at him to make sure that he’s all right.” Kal said before Tau completely lost consciousness, and his mind slipped away for a brief while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends a filler chapter of my story. Sorry that it took so long to write, I had A LOT of job work to attend to, and I had some homework to take care of, so that took out a bit of time from my schedule. So, what did you guys think of this intriguing chapter, as it had several RWBY characters introduce themselves into the story, it had Daniel and Ventis have a brief reunion, had Ulra, Uriah, Jak, and Jasmine head off for their own mission for the Shadow Alliance, had a mysterious Jedi Temple Guard prepare to arrive when our heroes needed her the most, and had Viridian and Shonn become friends. So, what part did you like the most? Did you think that my portrayal of Shonn was believable enough, and... well, if you have anything else to say, just tell me through constructive criticism, and I’ll hear you out. So, as of now, I’ve surpassed over 170,000 words in this story, and I won’t stop any time soon. So, I hope that you are having a good April 2, 2018, because I am, and I hope to hear from you soon. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, my friends, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	40. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone! How are you doing on this warm day of April 3, 2018? I'm a little tired on account of me staying up late last night in working on my previous chapter, and from my six-hour shift at work yesterday. But, other than that, I'm just peachy. I'm currently at school right now, and in-between classes, which means that I have plenty of time to work on my latest chapter. Fair warning, I have no idea how it will play out, so I'll just have to make it up as I go along. Hey, I just realized that I have surpassed 174,000 words in my story, and it's not even at the three-month mark yet. So, a second warning, I will have a couple of projects that I need to get started on, so I might not be able to update as periodically as I would like for a few weeks. Just wanted to give you guys a heads up in case my next few chapters are a little slow in coming out. Well, with all of that out of the way, let's get started on the chapter, as we're rapidly approaching the countdown to the Summit of Lah'mu, and we have so much to cover. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me.
> 
> (April 5, 2018 Addendum.) Good afternoon, everyone. What's up on this warm day? I'm doing well, as I did some homework for school, had pizza for lunch, and got Star Wars: Volume 7: The Ashes of Jedha through the mail today (I got it for a steal on Barnes and Noble, and I only got it because I can integrate it into my head canon. But, whether I can keep it up for much longer is becoming a good question.). So, now I'm working on my story, and it promises to be a very emotional one. Oh, one more thing: I've been working a lot of hours this week, so, if my updates are sporadic, then I apologize, I just want you to know if I'm slow in updating. Well, with that said, let's get back to writing.

_Meanwhile, Within the Erso's Hut_

Lyra could not comprehend the horrific truth that her husband and Saw were telling her, even as she found herself believing every word that they were saying. According to Tau Palpatine, there were many monstrous weapons that the Empire, more specifically, Wilhuff Tarkin, Orson Krennic, Bevel Lemelisk, and so many other Imperials, were designing in the hopes of subjugating the galaxy. The worst, and most diabolical of these weapons, other than the star-destroying Sun Crusher, was going to use Galen's peaceful means of using Kyber crystals in order to serve as the superlaser for a moon-sized Imperial battlestation, the Death Star, which, when completed, would be capable of vaporizing an entire planet, as it twice did so in Tau's timeline in destroying Despayre and Alderaan as mere demonstrations of its power.

"How could they- How could anyone even consider using such terrible weapons of mass destruction, and dare to say that they will bring about peace?" Lyra distressingly said as she looked to Galen for any comfort that he could give. And he embraced her in a firm but loving and sympathetic hug, which she returned as she cried her eyes out from the horrors that she had learned.

Once Lyra had calmed down enough to let go, she wiped her bloodshot eyes, and angrily said, "What are we going to do about this? I refuse to stand by and allow your research to be used for the darkest of war crimes in existence."

"Tau and his friends already have a plan for this, Lyra. But, it will bring nothing but pain to our family…" He then hesitated in order to gather the strength for his next words, as they would shatter his wife's gentle heart. "I have to go back, and install a secret weakness within the Death Star so that, when the time comes, the Shadow Alliance can destroy it before it can destroy any worlds."

Lyra immediately became seized with fear in her whole body, for she had no intention of seeing her husband fall back into Tarkin, Krennic, and Lemelisk's hands ever again. She immediately said, "No, absolutely not. We'll find another way to stop the Sith, but they are _not_ going to tear our family apart!"

"Lyra." Saw began, before he received a death glare from the woman, and immediately shut up, for her stare reminded her of his sister, Steela Gerrera, and the love and dedication that she had for her home world of Onderon before she was killed.

"Stay out of this, Saw. You have no idea what I'm going through right now, as your sister gave her life for a noble cause, while my husband is considering a suicide mission into the Sith's domain of evil in a vain hope of stopping its darkest superweapon." Lyra angrily replied, filling Saw with an uncharacteristic sense of guilt, as he did not relish the idea of splitting up his friends' family for a mission that would all but culminate in Galen's martyring for the galaxy.

"But, even if there's a fraction of a chance that he could sabotage the Death Star, isn't it worth any risk? What if it your home world of Aria Prime was a target of the Death Star when it's completed, just as Alderaan was? Could you, with a clear conscience, not take this chance to help stop it before it can slaughter billions, maybe _trillions_ , of innocent people?" Saw protested, further angering her.

"Or, Sidious could manipulate him into unwittingly making it even stronger. Did you already forget what he did to the Republic and Jedi Order, Saw? Who's to say that he can't do that?" Lyra countered,

"Tau's got several agents in Imperial High Command that can make sure that that doesn't happen, Lyra. Besides, I read the historical records that Tau's astromech droid provided, and Galen's sabotage escaped detection before it was too late to do anything about it." Saw said in a counter protest.

"The Empire will be on the hunt for even the slightest hint of treachery, Saw, and I'm as sure as the Force itself that I'm not going to let the man that I love martyr himself for a galactic war!" Lyra angrily exclaimed before Galen put a hand on her clenched fist in order to calm her down.

"Lyra, I have to go back and do what I can to slow it down. If I don't I'll never live with myself, as I helped put this research into motion, and I have to help shut it down. Even if it costs me my life, I'll take comfort in knowing that you and Jyn will be safe." Galen gently said as his wife looked on in disbelief that such a peaceful man would agree to such a dangerous scheme.

"I… I need some air." Lyra said as she began to walk out of the hut, and, before Saw could follow her in an attempt to calm her down, Galen put a hand on his shoulder in order to make him realize that this was something that she needed time to work this out on her own.

Lyra quickly walked outside in order to take in the fresh air that would, hopefully, clear her mind of the anxiety that was coursing through her. However, she then saw one of the Jedi walking towards her, and she sighed in exasperation, as it seemed that, no matter where she went, members of the Shadow Alliance would not leave her alone, no matter how much they threatened to take from her.

"What do you want?" Lyra said as she struggled to keep her emotions in check, not wanting to let the black-haired woman know how upset she was right now.

"I was wandering the fields of this world when I felt your distress, and wanted to make sure that you were all right, ma'am." The Jedi honestly replied, before she introduced herself, saying, "My name is Celeste Morne. If I may ask, what is your name?"

"You mean that you don't know who I am?" Lyra said, stunned that the Jedi did not know whom she or her husband was, due to how she suspected that Tau would have tried anything to get her to agree to this insane plan of the Shadow Alliance's.

"No. But, to be fair, I have been imprisoned in a stasis chamber for nearly four millennia since the height of the Mandalorian Wars, and have only begun to get up to date with current affairs, so, my knowledge of this era is, to put it lightly, a bit sketchy." Celeste embarrassingly admitted, further baffling Lyra.

"You've been in stasis for over thirty-nine hundred years?!" Lyra astonishingly said, earning a chuckle from the ancient Jedi Master. She then asked, "Why, and who would even do that to you?"

Celeste then looked grim, and said in reply, "Suffice it to say that I was in a dire situation, and another Jedi, who was a much better Jedi and person than I ever was, put me in there in order to protect myself and the galaxy from Sith influence."

The Jedi Master then said, "So, what's got you down, if I may ask?"

"It's my husband. He… The Sith and their empire are using his research into lightsaber crystal energy in order to try and power a planet-destroying superweapon, and he feels that it's his sole responsibility to sabotage it."

Celeste gaped at the woman for a second, and then realized what Lyra was talking about, and said, "You're talking about the Death Star, aren't you?"

"Yes. My husband's name is Galen Erso, and he wants to leave my daughter, Jyn, and me in an insane plan of being brave. I just can't understand why he would want to go back to the Empire after knowing what they'll make him do." Lyra explained to Celeste, who nodded in understanding, as she recalled all of her grisly work for the Jedi Covenant before her self-imprisonment, and how she regretted the cover-ups that she helped make possible.

"I can relate to Galen's desire to atone." Celeste sympathetically said before she continued to speak to Lyra, her voice full of regret as she said, "I was a part of a secret Jedi cabal called the Jedi Covenant, which was tasked with doing whatever it took to prevent the return of the Sith. Needless to say, the Covenant's leaders greatly abused its power until power itself became its own master, and it led to the Padawan Massacre of Taris, just before the true Mandalorian Wars began. It took Zayne Carrick's hunt for the truth to expose its corruption, and its control by a Sith Acolyte known as Haazen, and led to its destruction."

Lyra was horrified at the absurd accusation that a Jedi organization could fall so far from protecting the galaxy to protecting its own existence and self-interest, and angrily said, "Why are you telling me this, Celeste? Are you trying to further erode my faith in the Force and the good in the galaxy, because it's working very well?"

"No, Mrs. Erso. I merely want to show you that no one, nor organization, or person, is perfect, and that everyone is on their own journey for the Light or Dark Side of the Force. Or, should I say, whether or not we're on a path that aligns with Iluvatar and his plan for the universe." Celeste replied, which confused the mother, as she had, in all of her years of learning of the Force and its mysteries, never even heard of this supposed god.

"Iluvatar? Who's that?" Lyra curiously asked, wondering just who the Jedi Master in front of her was talking about."

"He's the first Celestial in all of existence, and the creator of the universe." Celeste reverently said, which astounded Lyra, as she considered the Celestials long since dead, or, failing that, legends.

Celeste then continued, saying, "Iluvatar created the other Celestials, and, together, they set the plan in motion for creating the universe. But, one of the first of the Celestrials that he created, and the most powerful among them, known as Melkor, betrayed them, and marred the universe by perverted or destroying many of Iluvatar's creations. Thus, chaos and discord began in the universe that has lasted to this day."

"How do you know this?" Lyra wondrously asked, wanting to know just how this Jedi Master could have known this new information of the origin of the universe.

"One of Tau's friends told me, and he was a warrior from the world where the Celestials, or Valar, if you want to call them by that name, began the creation from their own personal dimension. Oh, and, Tau, Viridian, and their fellow Jedi met Iluvatar and the other Valar in order to gain their aid against the rogue Celestials that are trying to take over the galaxy." Celeste academically explained, and Lyra found herself feeling lightheaded at the idea that the Celestials spoke to people that were on this planet, and a torrent of questions entered her mind at once.

Before Lyra could ask any questions about the Valar, Celeste said, "Look, I'm not the best person to ask about the supernatural. If you want to know more, you can ask the Jedi who saw the Celestials, or one of the leaders of the Arda delegation, as they would know more about this matter than me. Anyway, we were talking about you and your husband, Galen. I think… that the best thing that you can do is to trust your heart, your instincts, and those around you."

"But… I don't want to lose my husband to the Sith. He's a good man, and I fear what they will do to him if they get their hands on him." Lyra fearfully replied, as she only wanted to do what was best for her family.

"Do you trust your husband?" Celeste suddenly asked, which baffled Lyra, who only nodded at the spontaneous question.

Celeste then continued, saying, "Then you have to trust in him to know that he wants to do what is right, as he's trusted you up to this point." Before she could say anything else, she saw I-Five walk up to the two women, and the Jedi Master asked, "Is there something that we can help you with, I-Five?"

"Well, I actually wanted to give some advice to Madam Erso, as I couldn't help but overhear the conversation going on between the two of you, and I felt it pertinent to offer my opinion on the matter."

"And, by 'overhear', you mean 'eavesdrop, don't you, I-Five?" Celeste said with a hint of irritation creeping into her voice, not at all phasing the Human Replica Droid.

"Semantics." I-Five dismissed with a wave of his hand, before he said, "My friend, fellow anti-Imperial fighter, and Jedi Knight, Jax Pavan was at a similar crossroads when we were presented with a chance to assassinate the Emperor a little over three years ago. He could not decide which path to take, as either path had its merits and weaknesses. When he uttered a certain phrase, it activated a subroutine that allowed him to see a message that his father, Lorn Pavan, bequeathed to him before he died at Darth Maul's hands. His message spoke of how he was going after Darth Maul not merely out of a desire to avenge Jedi Padawan Darsha Assant, who he was growing close to before her act of self-sacrifice to protect the two of us from Maul's wrath, but because he was the only one who was in a position to do so. That message galvanized JAx to go through with the plan, not because he wanted to, but because, if he didn't do so, then no one else would, and that would doom the galaxy of eternal darkness."

Both Celeste and Lyra could not believe what they were hearing from I-Five about two of his closest friends, and they each looked slack jawed at the information that they had just received. Two men, each of them having to make an impossible choice in their lives, made a sacrifice for the greater good of the galaxy, and it made Lyra's heart break at the story, as she now knew what she had to do, and it would shatter her and Jyn.

As Celeste saw Lyra get up, the latter said in gratitude to the two people that had just given her words that she desperately needed to hear, "Thank you both for coming here when I needed guidance the most. Celeste, you'll need to introduce me to Celebion, as I'd like to hear more of this Iluvatar and the Valar. But, right now, I need to let my husband and friend know of my decision on their cockamamie scheme of theirs."

"All right. If you ever want to talk, just ask, and I'll be there. May Iluvatar be with you, Lyra." Celeste compassionately said to the woman who, through I-Five's words, found a sense of resolve and purpose while, just a handful of minutes ago, she was instead full of doubt and fear.

While Lyra walked back to her soon-to-be-destroyed home, she saw Jyn hanging out with Vesse. Jyn quickly saw the tears on her mother's face, and both girls ran to her. Jyn then said, "Are you okay, Momma?"

"She is, Jyn. She just realized that she has to make a sacrifice for the good of so many people in the galaxy, and it will break her heart, but make her stronger for it." Vesse insightfully said, which left Lyra astounded at how the Tholothian Jedi had her figured out so thoroughly and quickly.

Before Lyra could ask how Vesse knew all of that, the Jedi Youngling bashfully said, "When I was resurrected by Iluvatar, I received many gifts, and, reading the emotions and thoughts of others was one of them." She then apologetically added, "I didn't read your mind, if you're worried about that. I just picked up your emotions through the Force, as they're so chaotic, they're all over the galactic map."

"Well, that pretty much summed up my state of mind quite well, Vesse." Lyra said, dumbfounded at how this young woman claimed that the first Celestial resurrected her from beyond the grave, and her interest in learning more about Iluvatar and the other Celestials rose immeasurably.

She then asked Vesse, "Could you please leave me and Jyn alone for a while, because, as you know, we need to discuss matters with my husband for a while, and we'll need some time to ourselves?"

"Of course, Mrs. Erso." Vesse sympathetically said, who then left to allow the two Erso girls to walk to their home, where hearts and a family would be broken inside.

Once Lyra and Jyn entered the hut, they saw Saw leaving the area, and said, "I figured that you guys would like your privacy, so I'm going to help my men scope out the perimeter." He then looked forlorn to Jyn, and compassionately said, "I'm so sorry, Jyn." With that said, he left he hut in order to give the Erso's their privacy for now.

Lyra then led Jyn to where her father was, and solemnly said to him, "You're right, Galen. If we don't fight the Empire with everything we have, then the galaxy will be doomed, because no one else will."

Galen could hardly believe what he was hearing, as he had, in essence, been given the approval from his wife to go into the dragon's den in order to sabotage the Death Star's construction in order to help protect the galaxy.

Jyn, meanwhile, was worried about what her mother was saying, as she always said that she wanted peace for the galaxy, and, here she was, talking about war against the Empire. She then said, "Momma, why are you saying these things?"

Lyra then looked devastated as she turned to Jyn, and, with regret piercing every tendril of her soul, said, "Jyn, your father has to go away soon. He… he has to in order to help protect the galaxy from the Empire and its growing evils."

"No. No, the Empire can't tear our family apart. I won't let it!" Jyn desperately said as she felt her heart fracturing at the last two sentences that her mother had said.

"Jyn…" Her mother began, before Jyn ran off, tears emanating off her eyes as she fled the hut, with both mother and father in close pursuit.

Before she could get too far, she tripped on a rock, and her parents were immediately by her side, examining her for any injuries.

As the elder Erso's tried to comfort their daughter, they saw a man with pointed ears, and who was in ancient golden armor, walk towards them. The man kneeled down to Jyn, and gently said, "Are you all right, child?"

Jyn slowly opened her eyes, and saw a strange man above her. But, in spite of all that she was experiencing, she oddly felt at peace with this man here, and said in-between hiccups and tears, she said, "No."

"What is it that troubles your soul, young one?" The man said.

"My… my dad is saying that he has to go fight the Empire, and I don't want him to leave me and my mom." Jyn said, before she asked, "WH-who are you?"

"My name is Elrond, young girl." Elrond gently said, as he turned to face Jyn's parents, and said to Galen, "Why do you feel that you need to go and fight the Empire, sir?"

"Because… my research, which was intended to research clean and sustainable energy for civilian usage, is being used by the Empire in order to build a weapon that, when completed, will be able to destroy entire worlds." Galen reluctantly admitted, making Elrond's eyes briefly shoot up at recognition at the indirect mention of the Death Star.

"So, you're Galen Erso, then." Elrond deductively replied, which made Galen and Lyra nod their heads in confirmation. The Elven lord of Imladris then said in explanation, "Tau Palpatine told me your story. He told me of how each of you stood against the Empire in your own way before you fell in battle. He and his friends also came up with the plan to destroy the Imperial superweapons before they are completed."

The Elven lord continued to speak, firmly, but kindly, saying to Jyn, "Listen to me, Jyn Erso, your father wants to atone for his past mistakes, and protect the galaxy from the terrible devices that the Sith seek to create in order to subjugate the galaxy. But, I can tell that he loves you and your mother very much, as it is hurting him terribly to prepare to do his part in stopping the Sith's plans."

"But… I don't know how to handle this, sir." Jyn tearfully replied, before she continued to speak, saying, "I don't want to lose him to the Empire, and I want to keep our family together."

"I know how you feel, Jyn. I too, have lost much of my family to the dark forces of this galaxy." Elrond sympathetically replied, remembering how he lost his mother and father, Elwig and Earendil, respectively, in order to protect their Silmarillion at the end of the First Age, and his wife, Celebrían, after she departed for the Undying Lands after recovering from an Orc raid over four hundred years past. He then remembered his brother Elros, who, because he chose to live as a man, became Elros Tar-Minyatur, the Half-elven first king of Númenor before he passed away after reigning as king for over five hundred years.

After closing his eyes for a moment to remember the fond memories that he had with each of his departed family, he continued to speak, saying, "Did you know that I am an Elf of the world of Arda, how Elves are immortal, and that we cannot die, save by falling in battle? Did you also know that I am over six thousand years old, and have endured much sorrow?"

After each Erso became speechless at Elrond's revelation, he continued, gently speaking to Jyn, "Do you want to know how I have endured so many years without them, young Erso?" After seeing the young girl nod her head in confirmation, Elrond resumed speaking, saying, "I go on, not because I want to, but because I know that countless people are counting on me, and that I cannot let them down. I also have my two sons and my daughter to keep me from losing myself to despair because my family needs me for a while longer. Once my task is completed, I can pass on from this plain of existence, and join my loved ones in the Undying Lands."

"But… How can you be so sure that this is the… the… best choice to make? What if, after all that you've done, it won't be enough to protect the people that you love?" Jyn stuttered out, as she struggled to find the right words to articulate what her seven-year-old mind wanted to say.

"You need to have faith, Jyn Erso. Faith in Iluvatar, faith in your loved ones, and faith in yourself, as each of them will keep you on the right path. That is what has kept me going for so long." Elrond compassionately said to the young human girl in front of her.

Lyra stepped in for a confused Jyn, and admiringly said to Elrond, "Thank you for the words of wisdom, Lord Elrond. I hope to talk to you more about Iluvatar and your religion, as it sounds very interesting."

Elrond smiled in gratitude, and said, "Of course, Madam Erso. I would be more than willing to answer any questions of yours on the faith of Iluvatar. Now, I think that it is best if I leave you alone for now to discuss your plans. May Iluvatar guide you on the difficult road that you will soon embark on."

The ancient Elf then left the Ersos alone to discuss their new plans.

Galen then said to Lyra, "If this is the last time that we may spend together, let us do so as a family. What do you say, Lyra?"

Lyra then smiled at her husband, and kissed him with tenderness that she did not expect to possess after all the trauma that she had experienced since the Empire rose to power.

She then called Jyn over to her, and said, "Your father is going to go away for a while on a very important mission, and we need to spend all of our remaining time together, in order to create memories that will sustain us until we are reunited. I know that this is hard to understand, but we need to trust in your father that he will be all right, and that we can survive what will come. I promise you that one day, you'll understand what I'm saying, but, until then, we will stick together in order to endure what is coming."

Jyn then embraced her family, and they all walked back to their hut in order to begin to make lasting memories with the two most important people in her existence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends a slightly short chapter of my story. So, did you enjoy the inclusion of Lord Elrond, and the reference to Star Wars: Coruscant Nights III: Patterns of the Force, because I thought that they were included quite well? Oh, and what are you doing on the afternoon of April 6, 2018? I've done some homework, and am finishing up my chapter. Oh, and, I've got to work for about five hours tonight at my movie theater, and I might have to work tomorrow, as I'm on call for work, and I've definitely have to work on Sunday. Wish me luck, as I'll likely need it. So, I'll get started on the next chapter now, as it will accelerate the countdown for the Summit of Lah'mu, and have Tau recover from his fainting in the last chapter. Well, I guess that that's it for this chapter. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	41. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone! How are you doing on the day of April 6, 2018? I'm well, but my hands are quite cold for some odd reason, and I hate it. It makes it very hard for me to write, which I don't like in the slightest. So, have you all been enjoying some great fanfictions, because I sure have, and I wish that more were out there? Oh, and, I'm almost done with community college, and have about one month left in it before I graduate. I wish that I didn't have to leave, as I made a lot of really good friends there. Unfortunately, as the old saying goes, "All good things must come to an end." And, to make matters worse, I just realized that, in nineteen days, it will have been the fourth anniversary of the Expanded Universe's cancellation due to the Lucasfilm Story Group's desire for absolute control over Star Wars. That fills me up with such rage and sorrow over the passing of such a great saga, because, as I said before, it helped me get through some tough times, and gave me a love of literature that has endured to this day. Well, that's enough of my rambling, you guys don't want to hear my talk on and on. So, without further ado, let's get on with the story.
> 
> (April 8, 2018 Addendum). Sorry for adding an addendum, but I wanted to say a few things before I post this chapter. First off, a good chunk of this chapter will be excerpts from conversations with Squasher, and they'll be in italics, so you'll know when you're reading the conversation. Second, this chapter may take a little longer to write than the others, as I have projects for community college to worry about, and they'll take up a good portion of my time. Well, I guess that that's it for this update. Wish me luck. May the Force and Iluvatar be with us all in these dreaded and desolate anti-EU times.

_One Day Later_

_Fifteen Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah'mu_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

"Ugh. Does anyone know what hit my head?" Tau groggily said as he slowly awoke from his concussion after discovering that Viridian and Shonn were now on good terms.

He looked around the room to recognize that he was within the medbay of his personal ship, and he then saw that Jarael was looking after him. She then said, "Well, welcome back to the land of the living, Tau. You gave all of us quite a scare when you fainted from shock."

"Well, finding out that a Jedi hunter had suddenly become friends with Viridian would make anyone faint with confusion." Tau rebutted as he started to get up from the bed, and noticed that, thankfully, he was fully clothed, and that he only had a slight bump on his head as he rubbed it, only to slightly wince in pain from where it hurt the most.

As he turned to face Jarael, he asked, "How long was I out for?"

"About twenty hours. You missed out on quite a bit, Tau. The Erso family has agreed to allow Galen to infiltrate the Death Star project in order to sabotage it, a company of Taungs and other Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders has come from the Unknown Regions in order to join our summit, and the rebel cells are starting to prepare for battle. Oh, and, before I forget, Ulra, Jak, Uriah, Arseven, and Jasmine have arrived on Coruscant, and are preparing to infiltrate the Jedi Temple on our command." Jarael factually recounted off the top of her head, which amazed Tau at how well the groups had come together for the coming war.

"Well, good to know that things have been going so well so far. Of course, it only means that, somewhere down the line, we'll have a string of bad luck come our way." Tau said with his classic pragmatic approach.

"Let's hope that, this time, your prediction doesn't come true, old friend." Akku said as he came into the medbay, with several people that Tau instantly recognized standing behind him: master Anzati assassin Akku Seii I, Jedi Masters T'Ra Saa, Tholme, Quinlan Vos, and the latter's wife, Khaleen Hentz.

Upon seeing the five guests that were onboard his ship, Tau politely said to Akku II, "So… you made some new friends, I take it, Akku?"

"Heh. Your jokes still need work as always, Tau." Akku said as he allowed his guests to enter the medbay. As they did so, Tau kept a cautious but courteous gaze towards each of them, as each of them had a personal connection with each other in one way or another, and would be wary of anyone, especially a descendant of Darth Sidious, who would seek to gather so many anti-Imperial groups in one place.

"So, you're the infamous Tau Palpatine, great-great-grandson of Darth Sidious, and the one responsible for this summit." Quinlan Vos began as he approached the young Jedi Knight.

Before Tau could react, the Kiffar Jedi Master offered his hand to the human clone, and respectfully said, "Ahsoka and the rest of your crew told me of you and your brother's story, and it is an honor to work alongside someone as reputable as you."

Tau, quickly recovering from that unexpected display of treating him as an equal, especially from someone who did not normally work with clones, gripped the Jedi Master's hand with a firm handshake, and said, "The honor is mine, Master Vos."

"Well, glad that you two are friends. Now, can we get down to business, as Quin and I have a son to take care of?" Khaleen said in her trademark city girl tone.

"Of course, Miss Hentz. Or, is it 'Mrs. Vos?'" Tau replied, confused as to how he should talk to Quinlan's wife.

"Ugh. Just call me Khaleen, Tau. Everyone else does." The tattooed and pink-haired human woman replied.

"Very well, Khaleen." Tau said in acknowledgement before he continued, saying, "So, what did you want to discuss with me?"

"What role you intend for us to play in the battle to come on Lah'mu, as such a massive force will require immensely tight coordination in order to ensure that we don't end up doing the Empire's work for us." Tholme said, getting right to the heart of the issue at hand.

"Well, obviously, Master Saa would use her talents in Battle Meditation to coordinate and embolden the Shadow Alliance's forces, as well as help counteract the Dark Side powers of Sidious and his acolytes. As for the rest of you, I had an idea that required your excellent talents in assassination and infiltration." Tau began, catching everyone's attention.

He then continued, saying, "Back in my timeline, when my brother led his Shaodow Alliance in the civil war on Mandalore, he had several Anzati assassins help him sabotage and destroy some of our enemy's ships. I figured, due to most of the Imperial of this time's strict adherence to protocol and overall stupidity, we can send you guys to deal with a couple of Star Destroyers in the Imperial fleet, and take out a few more ships through destroying their reactors."

"Hmm…" Akku I said as he considered the idea, and soon saw the merits of sending his assassins on a covert mission, but saw at least one glaring flaw in the plan.

He then said, "I like where you are going with this plan, Tau Palpatine, but there is a complication. Since Darth Vader and the Emperor are going to be here, how do you expect us to elude their small army of Dark Jedi and acolytes?"

"Simple, sir. You guys, including the Dark Woman and Khaleen, can each lead a team of Anzati in infiltrating a Star Destroyer, and the Jedi can shield their presences in the Force from any prying eyes." Tau said in an academic tone, surprising everyone with how well thought out he had planned this small but significant portion of the battle that was to come.

"We will give it some thought, and let you know when we've come to a joint decision on your plan, Jedi Palpatine. In the meantime, I suggest that you prepare yourself for your summit, as it will have many disparate groups together, and chaos will all but likely break out at one point or another." Tholme noncommittally said as he and his group took their leave, leaving Tau, Jarael, and Akku II alone to prepare to see how the pre-summit was progressing.

"Well, that went well." Tau enthusiastically said, before he continued, saying to his two oldest friends, "They'll totally agree to this assignment. They're just trying to keep a degree of independence, or trying to get more support their way."

He then looked around, and said, "So, where's Butch? I figured that he'd be waiting for me after I fell out cold."

"He's with Daniel and the others in order to try and flush out the traitor within their ranks. So far, no such luck. At this rate, I doubt that we'll be able to pin them down before the summit begins." Jarael cautiously said, earning a sigh of exasperation from Tau.

"Well, we knew that finding them wouldn't be easy. They've escaped detection this long, so they're bound to be masters at covering their tracks." Tau said, before he then began to walk towards Jarael, and said, "So, what's the prognosis, Jarael? Am I fit for duty?"

"I've been waiting to tell you that you can go for the last eighteen hours." Jareal said, before she moved out of Tau's way in order to allow him to leave the ship.

"Well, in that case, Akku and I had better check out the new arrivals, and make sure that our Neo-Crusader Mandalorians don't rile anyone up." Tau said, before he heard his personal comlink beep, and he quickly pulled it out in order to activate it.

Soon enough, the image of Auron appeared, and he looked less than pleased at Tau.

Tau then became nervous, and said to Auron, "Auron! Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Are you all right, Auron, because you look… rather agitated?"

" _Oh, I'm not all right, Tau. In fact, I've got a bone to pick with you right now. You told me that I'd find a bunch of Sith warriors on Kesh. Instead, all I've got to work with are a planet full of pretty boys and, I reluctantly admit, beautiful women._ " Auron said, frustration boiling over in his voice as he spoke.

At the mention of the Lost Tribe of the Sith, Tau's mind went flying back to when he told Auron of this potential source of fighters and Light Side Sith.

_Four Months Earlier_

_On Remnant_

_"You're sending me to where?" Auron asked._

_"Kesh. It's a planet in Wild Space, and there is a whole tribe of Sith there."_

_"What?" Auron asked, astounded that so many Sith could have survived for so long in a hostile galaxy. He then asked, "How?"_

_"They're marrooned survivors from the Great Hyperspace War. They've created a meritocratic dictatorship, and have endured man-made plagues, Sith civil wars, Leviathan attacks led by one of the twelve Original Exiles, Remulus Dreypa, and they've conquered the entire planet over the span of over two thousand years through deception instead of invasion. It won't be easy to recruit them, but I know that you can do it, as you know more about the customs of the ancient Sith than anyone else present." Tau explained to the Light-Sided Sith._

_"Great Hyperspace war-era huh?" Auron asked, "What exactly have they done in your timeline?"_

_"After they were rediscovered by a Sith Meditation Sphere almost sixty years from now, they attempted to overthrow the Jedi Order and dominant governments of my time, and even made a failed deal with a Celestial monster known as Abeloth, but they were defeated in less than a year, and my brother ensured their final defeat by helping invade Kesh when it was rediscovered. Oh, don't worry, Edaan made sure that the Order didn't repeat the Great Hyperspace War, as millions of Keshiri and humans survived the invasion. He even managed to gain a few hundred recruits from the Lost Tribe's ranks for the Jedi, and he got a Keshiri girlfriend in the process." Tau said nostalgically said, remembering the battles and trials that his brother went through on his personal quest to redeem Vestara Khai, and wondered just what his friend was up to back in his timeline._

_"Defeated in less than a year?" Auron asked, "Hmm… well it does make sense. The Sith of the time were not the warriors of my empire. Plus, I imagine five thousand years of isolation didn't help."_

_Auron then sighed, and reluctantly said, "I would like to go but there is a problem."_

_"What's wrong? Is it Velvet?" Tau said, acting on a hunch, now concerned for his friend's wife._

_"Well... she can't come with me." Auron said, "You see, she is training to be a Huntress at an Academy, and she has a team that is counting on her. If I go, I won't see her for months... possibly years."_

_"Oh. I'm sorry, Auron." Tau sympathetically said before he continued saying, "If you want, I can go to Kesh and recruit the Lost Tribe, and you can stay with your friends and wife."_

_"I need to talk to Velvet about this... I will give you my decision later tomorrow."_

_"I understand. Whatever you decide, we'll support you, my friend." Tau said in respect for his friend's conflict in choices._

_The Next Day_

_"Alright Tau, I need to know something. How dangerous is Kesh, and the tribe of Sith?" Auron asked, "Tell me all the dangers of this planet and its inhabitants."_

_"Well, Auron, the people of Kesh are a primitive people with no major minerals for technology, so they won't have any functioning advanced technology other than lightsabers. The Sith there don't know any lightsaber forms other than Forms I and II, so you'll have the advantage in lightsaber combat over all but their highest ranking members. The original inhabitants of Kesh, the Keshiri, are superstitious, as they believed the Sith to be servants of their gods sent to protect them. Their Sith Order, from lowest to highest, goes from Tyros to Apprentice, Saber, Lord, High Lord, and Grand Lord. The flora and Fauna of the planet is peaceful, and not dangerous, except for the Uvaks, who are the flying mounds of the Sith that they establish a Force connection with. One more thing, the Sith there, despite being a meritocracy, have their Force-Sensitives at a higher standing than ordinary beings, just like Vitiate's empire, so you'll already have an edge against many of the people of Kesh. I'll send you all the data I have on the inhabitants of Kesh in an hour." Tau explained to the Human-Miraluka hybrid Sith._

_"So not as dangerous as Remnant then?" Auron asked, wanting to be sure of his assumptions before he committed to his decision._

_"Probably not, but they were notorious for their scheming against each other in order to rise within the Tribe. I'd keep my guard up, just to be safe." Tau said in both agreement and caution._

_Auron nodded in thought, "I talked to Ozpin. He said that if I could tame the planet enough, he might allow for Velvet and her team to take missions to Kesh. They are some great warriors. I think they could handle it. Tau, would you mind talking to Ozpin about this?"_

_"Deal. I'll talk to him once I give you get the intel on Kesh." Tau enthusiastically said, glad that a plan was coming together._

" _Hey…" Auron began, before he said, "I just remembered that your brother's Jedi Master, Ben Skywalker, fell in love with a Sith from that world. Her name was Vestara Khai, wasn't it?"_

_Tau then chuckled nervously, and said, "Got it in one, Auron. I also want you there in order to maek sure that Gavar and Lakha Khai marry each other so that Vestara is born, and so that, if all goes according to plan, I can see her and Ben fall in love for the second time."_

_Auron turned to Tau, "I don't mean to dash your hopes but since you came back what makes you think that these things will happen like they did before, how do you even know that Vestara Khai, and Ben Skywalker will even be born much less fall in love with each other?"_

_"I have hope, Auron, and faith in Iluvatar that things will work out for the best. I know that it's childish and a foolish hope, but, like my brother, I hold strong memories and feelings for the two, and would like to see them again, even if they aren't exactly the same as in my time." Tau explained._

_"Plus, Mara is already a lot like how she was before I was born, and Edaan heard a lot of things about her from Ben in my time." Tau quickly added._

_"If it is his will to be." Auron said, "I will do my part to make sure that the blood line survives."_

_"Wait you have faith in Iluvatar?" Tau asked surprised._

_Auron considered it for a moment, "I don't know if I am honest, I mean I am alive here and now, I survived the grey ooze Mnggal Mnggal, and I got a second chance at life. I have a family in the crew that found me and Katie. I have a wife whom I deeply cherish, my master told me that the Force has some strange workings, and I had heard of gods through my study of the Sith and other cultures. My mother believed in a loving creator that wants his creations to find their own way. If this Iluvatar is this supreme god who did create the force and all things that my mother believe would save my soul, then, yes, I do. And I hope that he has forgiven me for all the terrible things I have done."_

_Back In The Present_

"Uh… Didn't I mention that in the records that I sent you, old friend?" Tau worriedly said, not wanting to anger a Sith, even a Light-Side one, from the Galactic War.

" _Yes, you did._ " Auron acknowledged, before he angrily continued, saying," _What your records didn't indicate, however, was how subversive the superficiality of this karking society was! Even the Sith of my time respected talent and potential over looks!_ "

"Well, Seelah Korsin really was a self-centered woman, and that was saying something, since she engineered genocide on Kesh in order to purge the Sith of any species besides Humans and Keshiri." Tau said in acknowledgment, before he continued, saying, "But, I don't see what- Oh, _kriff_. They saw your scars, didn't they?"

" _Oh, they saw them, all right._ " Auron gravely said, before he said, " _They also saw Tuskar and the Orcs under his command, and, let me tell you, they nearly went on a killing spree in order to… how did they say it again? Oh, that's right: 'purge Kesh of any undesirables'._ "

"Wow, that's really barbaric. Good thing that they're Force-Sensitive, or they'd have a lot to talk about with the Knights of Olpaka." Tau responded before he continued, saying, "Please tell me that you've got some good news, because I don't know how many surprises I can take before I have a heart attack."

" _Well, in other news, I've got about three dozen recruits. They're mostly Tyros and Apprentices, but a couple of Sabers have agreed to join the cause. It's fortunate that I brought a few of my students in order to help train them._ " Auron said, earning a sigh of relief from Tau.

"Good. We'll need every man and woman that we can get if the Shadow Alliance fails in the next three weeks." Tau said, grateful that his Sith friend's plans were beginning to move forward.

" _Hey, you've got this, buddy. You've brought all of these groups and Jedi together, and you can lead them into battle against the Sith, just like your brother did in your time._ " Auron encouragingly said.

He then continued, saying, " _So, how are Xey, Janus and the others doing?_ "

"Well, Janus and Xey will soon come in with the Carthean fleet, and I'll be going to greet them once they come. Viridian and Kes are going to have a child in about seven months, Du's probably brawling with some Dwarves, and Ulra, Jasmine, and Jak are heading to Coruscant in order to take out Sidious's Sith shrine. Oh, and, the Taungs have come in, so I need to greet them as well." Tau responded.

Auron appeared speechless after the Viridian and Kes bit, and said, " _KES IS PREGNANT!? Why wasn't I told sooner?_ "

"To be fair, you were on radio silence while you infiltrated Kesh." Tau said in defense of everyone's verdict.

" _Well, clearly I'll need to talk to everyone when before this summit of yours begins._ " Auron grumbled before he said to Tau, " _Can you call Velvet through her Holonet communicator, because I'd like to talk to my wife before Tuskar and I resume training with our recruits?_ "

"Sure. I'll call her right now, buddy." Tau said in agreement, as he typed in Velvet's holonet frequency, and, in a minute, the image of the rabbit-eared Velvet Scarlatine appeared.

" _Tau. I guess that you awoke from your concussion. What's up…Honey?_ " Velvet said before she saw the holoimage of her husband, and began to form tears in her eyes.

" _Hey, Bunny, dear._ " Auron lovingly said before he asked Tau, " _Tau, would it be all right if I have a few minutes alone with my wife?_ "

"Of course, Auron." Tau respectfully said before he said, "I'll give you guys some privacy while I prepare to head out." With that said, he quickly left the room in order to gather his personal effects from his cabin.

Once the cabin door closed, Auron said, " _How have you been, my love?_ "

" _So far, things are steady, dearest._ " Velvet tenderly replied, before she said, " _My team's gone on a few missions, but nothing too difficult. No, the real battle is going to be on Lah'mu after the summit. I only pray that we can all survive the Imperial forces that are waiting to stop our fight for freedom. But, enough about me. How have you been holding up in Sith- well, Dark Side Sith- territory?_ "

" _So far, so good. Tuskar and I have a few recruits, and we've begun to infiltrate the Lost Tribe's society. I only hope that we can make things more stable for you guys within a year or two, because I'm missing you and the rest of our family like crazy._ " Auron passionately replied, earning a sigh of sadness from his wife.

" _I wish that you were here with me, Auron, but I'll take what I can get with you for now._ " Velvet said, which he agreed with wholeheartedly.

" _So, Bunny,_ " Auron said, using his term of affection with his wife before he continued, saying, " _I wish that you were here too, as these people here are crazy, and not in a good way. All that these people care about are looks, and they're so primitive! Although, that last one isn't their fault, since the humans have been stranded here for nearly five thousand years._ "

" _Sounds like the perfect challenge for you, because, at least by this time's standards, you're considered primitive, as well._ " Velvet retorted, earning a chuckle of acknowledgment from her husband.

" _Ha, ha. Anyway, your team's training is going well, I take it?_ " Auron said, not wanting the precious few minutes that he had with his wife to be spent on playful bickering.

" _Yeah. Team CFVY is really coming together. You should see the techniques that we've come up with in the last four months._ " Velvet said in praise of her teammates' coming together for the wars to come.

" _I'm proud of you guys. I hope that you keep me appraised of their progress. And, that you keep me up to date on Coco and Rarok's relationship so that I can make fun of Rarok for it._ " Auron conspiratorially said to Velvet, who, knowing that he merely wanted to stay close to his friends and new family, agreed with a nod of her head.

He then looked over his shoulder, and said, " _Listen, I've got to get going, as my students are ready to get started with their next lesson. May the Force and the gods be with you, my love._ "

" _And with you, my heart and soul._ " Velvet tearfully said as husband and wife ended their communication at the same time, leaving a sad Tau alone in the main hall of the _Second Chance_.

"Well, so much for starting this day off on a good note." Tau despondently said, wishing that he didn't have to send Auron and Tuskar to Kesh for an indefinite amount of time. He then moved to exit his ship in order to greet the new arrivals.

_One Day Later_

_Fourteen Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah'mu_

_Within the Carthean Camp_

After a day of greeting the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders, making sure that no one tried to kill the ancient Mandalorians, and getting a few fitful hours of sleep, Tau quickly made his way to the latest set of arrivals, and he saw the Echani Jedi Xey, the Carthean Human prince/Jedi Janus Lynn, and ten Carthean Templars that were defending the young prince, directing the flow of forces from the regiments of Carthean forces that were disembarking their ships. Deciding to take this chance to greet his two friends, he walked towards them, and said, "Well, it's about time that you two got here. Everyone was beginning to worry if the Knights of Olpaka got you."

"Your humor needs work, Tau, just like always." Janus simply said as he motioned for his guards to stand down, and then smiled to greet the heir to the Palpatine name. He then said, "How's it been, old friend?"

"It's been going well. As you see, we've already built up quite an army and navy, and this is just the beginning. So, how's Iminye doing?" Tau said, referring to the prince's Elf girlfriend from their time on Arda.

"She's doing quite well. I was actually going to meet with her after Xey and I finished integrating our forces into the armies." Janus happily said, eager to spend some time with his girlfriend after a harrowing battle against the Knights of Olpaka.

"Good." Tau said in joy for the couple, before he turned to face Xey, and said, "So, how's your work as a liaison between our Unknown Regions allies and the rest of our forces?"

 

"Well, the plus side is that you get to meet a lot of people, and learn a lot of history." Xey enthusiastically replied, before she turned serious, and said, "The down side is that I have to help solve problem after problem, and, let me tell you, my patience is growing thin from solving every little argument and dispute between our forces."

"Well, at least it's just a handful of groups that you've got to work with. Try managing the entire known galaxy's forces, which is gonna make me go crazy before the end, I just know it." Tau despondently said. He then changed gears, and said to the two Jedi, "So, I heard that you were in a minor scuffle with those karking Knights. Did you get what you were searching for on the Nephilim?"

"Yeah. It took a while, but we drove those miserable traitors back, and got the documents." Janus said in concurrence, before he continued, saying, "Unfortunately, the information's in an ancient language, so it'll take a little time to decrypt it."

"Well then, I'll have Arnine help out with that little setback." Tau said, not willing to let such a minor complication get the best of any of him and his friends. "Just out of curiosity, how many forces did the Cartheans bring?"

"Eight capital ships, three regiments of soldiers, two Chapters of Templars, and the Crimson Shades, Tau. That's all that the Cartheans could spare without compromising their operations." Xey said before she started to smile with a catlike glare, and said, "So, we heard that you're dating Ahsoka Tano."

Tau could only groan at that, and asked, "Who told you?"

"Does it really matter at this point, Tau?" Janus replied, before he said, "Don't worry, we haven't told anyone, and we have no intention of doing so, as we don't want Vader or any of our enemies learning of it for fear of them exploiting your budding romance."

"Don't I know it." Tau said in complete agreement, knowing how Vader would hunt Ahsoka down with even greater fervor in order to inflict his pain on Ahsoka for what he perceived to be a failed bond with her during his time as Anakin Skywalker. Vader would also hunt her down in order to avoid seeing a successful relationship between Ahsoka and a boy after his selfish actions led to Padme's death through heartbreak.

Shaking himself out of those thoughts, he said, "So, we'd better get ready for the summit, as it's in just fifteen more days, and I doubt that anyone else will come. Oh! Before I forget, is Mara safe, because I heard that Cad Bane was getting very close to finding you guys?"

"She's here with us, Tau. We figured that, as chaotic that this warzone would soon get, it would be safer than on Remnant without and Jedi to look after her." Xey replied, simultaneously worrying and relieving Tau that Mara would, at least for now, be out of his ancestor's clutches.

"Well, nothing we can do about it now. We'll just have to keep her away from the Empire, then." Tau grimly said, earning earnest nods from both Jedi that were beside him, and they began to prepare their forces for the summit that was only two weeks away.

_Ten Days Later_

_Four Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit on Lah'mu_

_On Coruscant/Imperial Center_

_Within the Works_

"I can't believe how much Coruscant has changed in the last four millennia." Uriah disbelievingly said as he saw the now repurposed Jedi Temple, which had been massively expanded during his time in stasis after the Mandalorian Wars. He also sensed the pall of dread that existed over the entire planet, and surmised that the rise of the Sith had slowly been taking over the citizens of the planet. Unfortunately, there were only two places in Coruscant that had an even greater concentration of Dark Side energy: The Imperial Palace, where Darth Sidious and Darth Vader resided, and the Jedi Temple, where, according to Tau's reports, a Sith shrine, reported to be back from the Great Hyperspace War, was located deep within the catacombs of the former bastion of Light Side energy.

"Well, if our plan works, then we'll give the people of Coruscant a chance to regain their freedom. And, hopefully, take out more of Sidious's servants." Jak said as he struggled to contain his imagination at killing even more of Sidious's best minions after all of the deprivations that they had caused both his people and the Jedi.

"Steady, soldier. We need your mind in the here and now, especially since we go in in five days." Ulra calmly said to her husband, and struggled to stay standing amidst the influx of Dark Side energy, which seemed to have strengthened since their last incursion to Coruscant a few months ago.

"Don't worry, Jak. I've got a good feeling that you'll get your chance to kill some Imps soon enough. Just remember to stick to the plan." Jasmine cautioned to her longtime friend, despite their cultural and historical grievances.

"Don't worry. I'm not going AWOL or anything." Jak said in a reassuring tone to his friends, before they returned to their nearby hideout, given to them as a courtesy by the diminished, but still active, Whiplash movement. There, they would continue to plan their infiltration of the Jedi Temple in order to knock out the Sith shrine out of commission for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends an emotional chapter of my story. What did you guys think? Sorry for the ten-day time skip, but I felt like I needed to move things along before I got bogged down in too many details. I hope that you guys enjoyed the reinforcements that were coming for our heroes, and their plans to infiltrate the fallen Jedi Temple in order to destroy the Sith shrine underneath it. Oh. And, I hope that you loved the conversation between Auron and Velvet. That really was a beauty to write. So, how are you guys doing on the afternoon of April 9, 2018? I'm doing well, as I've worked a bit on homework for school, and now just found out that SWTOR is soon going to return to its Republic vs. Imperial roots. I pray that this brings SWTOR back to the former popularity that it once had, and gives the leaders of Star Wars further incentive to create more Original Expanded Universe material. Well, that's it for today. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	42. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone! How's everyone doing on the cool afternoon of April 10, 2018? I'm doing well, as I've made some serious progress on one of my major assignments, and now have under two hours to write before class tonight. So, as of today, several of my favorite fanfictions have been updated, and they are really good. The Arda Campaign, IV: Holocaust, I'll Never Forget, and The Normandy Saga: The Rogue Spectre have all been updated within the last eighteen hours, and, let me tell you, they have me excited for whatever comes next from these amazing writers. Oh, and, I emailed my Jedi Odyssey saga to a friend from community college, and I can't wait to get her opinion on them. Now, for obvious privacy reasons, I'm not going to give away their name, so don't bother asking me for it. So, in other news, the comic book series Injustice 2 will get a new storyline today, with Hal Jordan as the protagonist. I hope that it is good, as I've heard that it hasn't been doing so well in print form, and this storyline could help rekindle interest back in the Injustice saga. I also hope that, one day soon, the Original Star Wars Expanded Universe will be resumed, not at its full capacity, obviously, but, just a handful of novels and mini comic book series every year. That's not too much to ask for from Disney and Lucasfilm, especially with the massive boatloads of revenue that they've got coming in from all around the world, is it, because I sure as heck don't think so? Well, with that out of the way, I'd better get started on the chapter, as I've wasted enough time rambling, and I have no idea what to do for this chapter. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me.
> 
> (April 12, 2018 Addendum) Good afternoon, everyone. What's been happening over the last two days? I've been doing well, as I've been working hard on this chapter, and at school, as I've finished one of my big projects that are due soon, and I got started on the other one today. Let me tell you, the second one will be quite a challenge, but I'm sure that I can handle it, as I've got twelve days left before it's due. So, just a heads-up, I might be a little slow with my updates with the next two weeks or so. I will try to write every day, but I can't make any promises. So, with that out of te way, let's get back to writing. I hope to hear from you all soon.

_In the Mandalorian Camp_

Even after a day of seeing the last survivors of the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders walk about their camp, _Mand'alor_ Fenn Shysa could hardly believe what his eyes were showing him. A heavily armed and modified _Kandosii_ -type _Dreadnought had arrived in-system from the Unknown Regions just before the Carthean delegation came, and the ship's crew was revealed to be survivors of the Mandalorian Wars. More specifically, they had been among the first people to engage and survive the Yuuzhan Vong over thirty-nine centuries ago._

_Their dreadnought had suffered serious damage from the battle with the organically-based enemy. The ship had then been forced to travel at sublight speed to known space, with the ship's reduced crew in stasis for the bulk of the journey, except for brief intervals where members of the crew would make repairs to the ship in order to make sure they could return to their superiors._

_However, before they could return, guns blazing against the Imperials, they ran into Daniel, Naomi, Asajj, Rarok, and the Clone ARC Trooper A-17, better known as "Alpha", who thought that their ship was a derelict while hunting the Yuuzhan Vong who, at the time, had captured Vega, and a brief fight ensured. Fortunately for everyone, the five intruders were able to explain themselves to the Mandalorians, and a truce was issued. Once Rarok and Alpha were able to explain the Mandalorians' defeat to Revan at Malachor V, how they were manipulated by an agent of the Sith Emperor Vitiate in order to test the Old Republic's strength, and the current state of the galaxy, the Neo-Crusaders swore vengeance against the Sith for the manipulation of their people. They then swore to aid the Jedi and their allies on this struggle, and kept in contact with them ever since._

Before Fenn could utter a single word to voice his shock, Bo-Katan, one of his top lieutenants, beat him to it, saying, "Hard to believe, isn't it, _Mand'alor_?"

"Don't we know it, Bo." Kal said in concurrence as he walked up between the two younger Mandalorians.

The grizzled war veteran continued, saying, "Everything that we've seen here is imposible to believe. I mean, joining a resistance movement bent on overthrowing the Empire in order to defend the galaxy against intergalactic conquerors, malevolent Celestials, Killiks, a Columni-like race, and Force-hating bigots? Allying ourselves with the _Jettise_?! This all speaks of madness. And yet, here we all are."

"Guess that the war changed us all in more ways than we can count." Fenn said in agreement with his old friend, while sadly recalling all of the dead that had piled up during the Clone War.

Bo, eager to get away from her guilt in the unintentional role that she played in the murder of her sister, the former _Mand'alor_ ,and final leader of the New Mandalorians, Satine Kryze, said, "At least we now have a chance to help remedy the damage of the war. And, we have a chance to learn more about our predecessors in the form of our new guests." She then turned to see ten of the twenty Taung Mandalorians that survived the Mandalorian Wars giving their warrior successors a lesson in unarmed combat. Needless to say, the Taungs were trouncing their opponents with their mastery of the ancient skills of the Mandalorians.

"Well, if nothing else, they're getting along well with our troops." Fenn amusingly said as he saw the Taungs helping their fellow Mandalorians up from the dirt.

"That's good, because trust between the troops is essential if we're going to stand a chance against the Sith and their xenophobic Empire." Said Cassius Tarquin, the Taung who was the Mandalorian Neo-Crusader leader who walked up from behind them, and continued, saying, "We'll need the _manda_ , and whatever other forces that guide the universe, if we're going to send a message to the galaxy that we won't go down without a fight."

He then turned to face the current _Mand'alor_ , and respectfully said, "It is an honor to fight alongside Mandalorians against a powerful foe once again, _Mand'alor_."

"And it's an honor to fight with people that went toe-to-toe with the Yuuzhan Vong, and succeeded, Cassius." Fenn returned, treating the Taung captain as an equal instead as a subordinate.

"Well, if the Jedi's plan succeeds, we'll send a message that no one will soon forget." Bo venomously said, eager to deal a powerful blow to the Empire that subjugated her home world, and was mining its resources for its own personal gain.

She then realized what she said, and numbly said, "Wow. War does make strange bedfellows."

"That it does, Bo. That it does." Ahsoka said in agreement, as she walked up, and said, "Good to see you again." She then turned to face Cassius and Fenn, and said, "It's good to meet the both of you. I'm Ahsoka Tano, and I'm one of the people in charge of security for the summit."

"Ah, yes. I've heard of you." Fenn said in praise of the young woman in front of her, before he continued, saying, "The former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, who bravely forged her own path after a terrible betrayal, and is now helping to right the wrongs of others. It's a noble calling that you've taken up, young one. Bo and I even heard from Kal that you're in a romantic relationship with Tau Palpatine."

After Ahsoka rolled her eyes at the news that two more people, especially a former enemy of hers before the Siege of Mandalore, knew of her relationship with the heir to the Palpatine name. She then said, "Why does everyone need to bring up a private affair of ours?"

"Because it's fun to watch you guys get all nervous and agitated, Ahsoka." Kal humorously said as he chuckled at Ahsoka's discomfort over the mention of her relationship with Tau.

Cassius then innocently asked, "Is Tau your mate, Jedi Tano?" This caused Ahsoka to look like she would faint on the spot, while the three human Mandalorians laughed like maniacs at Cassius's simple inquiry.

"Why in the galaxy would you… No, Tau is not my mate. He's my boyfriened, and nothing more." Ahsoka incredulously said, before she then said, "And, I left the Jedi Order over four years ago, so you can just call me Ahsoka.

"Ah, I see. My apologies for being presumptuous, Jedi- I mean, Ahsoka." Cassius said in an effort to calm the young woman's anxiety.

Ahsoka quickly regained control of her mental faculties, and, after shooting a death glare at Kal, Bo, and Fenn, said to Cassius, "Don't worry about it. It was just an honest question. Just, try not to spread the word to anyone, because if our enemies found out, they'd try to exploit it for their own malicious ends."

"Okay. Thank you for being so courteous with me, Ahsoka." Cassius simply said as he then walked away to oversee his dreadnought's readiness for the inevitable battle in eight days.

The Togruta woman then turned to face Kal, and said, "I've got to check up on the Commenor Underground, the Atrivis Resistance Group, and the Christophsis resistance before the summit begins. Let me tell you, I've really been put through the grinder with meeting up with all of these groups, because some of these people are… let's just say they're a little off, if you know what I mean."

"Aren't we all a little 'off' in our own special way, Tano?" Fenn countered, knowing that Ahsoka did not mean anything by it, but was merely venting her frustrations a little.

"I know, Shysa." Ahsoka said as she sighed in agreement before she walked off to speak with the three remaining resistance groups in order to coordinate their efforts for the upcoming battle.

_Meanwhile, In the Khar Shian System_

_Onboard the_ Empire's Vengeance

"Are you certain of this intelligence, Grand Moff Trachta?" Palpatine cautiously asked, wondering if, perhaps, his old friend had mistaken the _Kandosii_ -type _Dreadnought that had appeared within the Lah'mu system was merely a repaired ship instead of a functioning relic of the Mandalorian Wars. What truly surprised Sidious was that, according to Admiral Volta, the ship's crew was comprised of veterans from the Mandalorian Wars, and included at least twenty of the formerly presumed to be extinct Taungs._

"Completely, my lord." Trachta deferentially said to his master as he pulled pulled up hidden images of several Taungs tutoring the other species that comprised this time's Mandalorians in hand-to-hand combat, which gave Sidious an idea for a cloned army of Taungs, which would make his Empire all the more secure after it dealt with the Shadow Alliance.

The Dark Lord of the Sith then smiled maliciously, and said to the Grand Moff, "You have done well to inform me of this development, old friend. Now, I must ask that you inform Grand Moff Tarkin, Lord Vader, and Grand Inquisitor Halmere of a new directive: They are to capture as many Taungs alive, if at all possible."

"Of course, master. But, might I inquire as to why you would want these Taungs alive, as I doubt that they would want to serve the Empire given how the Republic destroyed the Taung people?" Trachta curiously asked.

"Of course they would never want to serve the Empire, Trachta. But, they will make an excellent genetic template for a new clone army, one that could surpass the Clone Troopers in loyalty and creativity." Sidious explained to the cyborg, making his eyebrows shoot up in pure shock, as he still had a great deal of respect and admiration for the Clone Troopers that defeated the Confederacy and Jedi Order.

"I see." Trachta numbly replied before he cautiously said, "The idea holds a great deal of promise, my master, but, I feel that it is my duty to warn you that many of your subordinates will not share your enthusiasm for this idea, given the Humanocentrism that you've allowed to spread throughout the ranks of the Empire. Not to mention the Taungs' campaigns of genocide that defined the Mandalorian Crusaders and Neo-Crusaders could rally anti-Imperial sentiment within the galaxy."

"Yes… Yes, you do raise an excellent point, Grand Moff Trachta." Sidious said in acknowledgment of his friend's point, before he indifferently said, "The rest of Imperial High Command will just have to accept it, or risk being purged by those who are more willing to follow my will."

"Very well, then." Trachta said, knowing when to avoid pushing his luck, and quietly left the Emperor's throne room.

_One Hour Later_

_On Lah'mu_

_Within the_ Lambda _-_ _class_ _T-4a_ _shuttle_ Lambda

"You're serious, aren't you? Sidious wants to resurrect the Taungs as a clone army?" Shonn incredulously said, not willing to believe the derangement that the Emperor had to be experiencing right now. She figured he had to be insane, as only an insane person, knowing just what atrocities the Taungs had committed for millennia after their exile from Coruscant, could even consider wanting to bring the Taungs back as soldiers for a slave army.

" _Exactly, Shonn. Which makes it all the more imperative that we ally with Tau and his friends, and that, no matter what happens to us, we need to keep the Taungs away from the Imperials at all costs._ " Trachta said to his subordinate, who only firmly nodded at her new orders from the rogue Grand Moff.

"Understood." Shonn said before she hesitated for a moment before she cautiously asked, "How do you think that we should ally with the Shadow Alliance, as covert, or open allies, because we can do a lot of good either way?"

At the mention of that question, Trachta did something the woman did not expect in any form: he sighed, and said, " _Honestly, I'm not sure, Shonn. I mean, if we defect from Sidious's empire, then we can help rally more disaffected Imperials and planets to the Jedi's cause, and help whip the cells and planets that make up the Shadow Alliance into a united fighting force. But, on the other hand, if we stay undercover, then we can slowly subvert Sidious's greater plans for the galaxy, and gather more allies for reforming the Empire into a Galactic Alliance. What do you think that we should do, old friend?_ "

Shonn took a moment to consider what her teacher was asking of her, and carefully said, "Well, the soldier part of me would want nothing more than to go down fighting against Sidious and Vader, and I want to personally oversee the evacuation of as many of my people as I can. Unfortunately, the leader that you and Dooku trained me to become knows that we have to look at the bigger picture, and realize that Yularen and Thrawn will need help in keeping their covers intact. As much as it pains me to admit it, we need to stay within Imperial High Command for as long as we can so that we can provide as much intelligence as possible."

Trachta then nodded in approval, as if she had passed a test that the Grand Moff had planned for his pupil. He then said, " _Well, then our course is set, Shonn. Gather what intel you can, and advise the Shadow Alliance to evacuate your home world and sabotage the Empire's mineral gathering operations._ " He then looked over his shoulder, and said, " _I have to go, someone's coming. May the Force be with you, Admiral Volta._ " With that said, the holonet communication ended, and left his fellow double agent to warn the Shadow Alliance of Sidious's latest set of plans.

_Twenty Minutes Later_

_Within the Mandalorians' Camp_

"Is there no limit to that abomination of a man's scheming and mockeries of life itself?!" Fenn angrily growled out, as he resisted the urge to beat anything that he could get his hands on, due to the new bit of intelligence that Shonn had delivered to the Mandalorians, and Tau, due to his connection to Sidious.

"He's creating mindless clones in order to extend his life indefinitely, and corrupting billions of people on the Deep Core world of Byss into his thralls in order to fuel his and his servants' demented experiments, so I'd say that this isn't much of a stretch. Plus, his master, Darth Plagueis, tried to fund a cloned army of Yinchorri with the Kaminoans, so I'd say that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Tau revoltingly said, equally disgusted with his ancestor's plans to capture as many Taung as he could in order to clone them into an onslaught of an army.

"Uh… I'm not familiar with that expression. What exactly is an apple?" Shonn said, not familiar with that fruit.

"It's a fruit that's only found on Arda, Shonn." Bo said, fondly remembering the delicious fruit from her time on the world during the battles that she and her men fought alongside the Jedi and their allies against Sauron, the Yuuzhan Vong, and all of the forces that were under the fallen Maia's command.

"Anyway… Kix, Mij, and Uthan have a counteragent for the Clones' control chips ready, and we've tested it on ten volunteers. It's been three days, and there ahave been no side effects, so we're ready for distribution. Oh, Sidious is going to get his robes in a knot when he sees that we've freed our boys from his machinations." Walon said, more than eager to put some fear into the worst Sith Lord in millennia.

"Aren't we all, Vau." Shonn said in concurrence, while seeing Cassius walk to his men in order to inform them of this turn of events, and to inform them that they'd need to avoid capture by the enemy at all costs in order to preserve what honor the Taungs had left after millennia of abuses.

"Well, that'll give them quite a fire in their bellies." Tau observingly said as he felt the outrage and fear within each of Cassius's followers as he told them of what awaited them, should they or their corpses be captured.

"They'll need it if they're going to stay alive and free, Tau." Kal stated as the Jedi prepared to leave. Kal then asked, "You got somewhere more important to be?"

"Ah, just got a message from Ventis on the progress of repairs to the Second Chance. He needs me to get him some supplies to finish the repairs before the summit begins. I'll see you guys later." Tau responded before he took his leave.

_Meanwhile, In the Arda Camp_

"I never would have guessed that the legends of the Celestials would actually be proven to be true." Lyra wonderously said as she and her family had finished listening to the story of the origins of the universe, and the imprisonment of Morgoth after the War of Wrath, and the banishment of his darkest lieutenant, the Maia now known as Sauron into the Void before his return near the beginning of the Second Age. .

"It is quite a magnificent tale, Lyra." Galen said in concurrence before he nodded to Elrond and Balin, and courteously said to the Elf and Dwarf, "Thank you for taking the time to tell us this history, as Lyra is a very spiritual person, and greatly enjoys learning more about history and religion."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Mr. Erso. It's a pleasure to talk to you and your family about our people's histories." Balin graciously said, before he adopted a serious tone, and said, "Tau told us of the burden that you carry, and how you seek to make amends for your indirect work in his ancestor's weapons programs. The least that we can do to help you is make sure that you spend your remaining days here in comfort and love before the battle begins."

The Dwarf then turned to face Jyn, and reassuringly said to her, "You have a great fire in your belly, young Jyn. It will serve you well when you're old enough to fight. Until then, take care of your mother. She'll need you when your father goes away."

"I will, Mr. Balin." Jyn gently said to the white-haired Dwarf.

"Oh, enough of that formal stuff, lassie. We're all equals here. You can just call me Balin, Jyn." Balin dismissively said with a wave of his hand, which made the human girl giggle at her new friend's treatment of her.

"Okay, Balin." Jyn then said.

"Well, it has been a privilege to speak with the three of you. But, I regret to say that we need to cut this short, as we have final preparations to make before we begin the summit." Elrond sadly said, before he asked, "Would you like us to offer you all a prayer for the years ahead?"

"Yes, please." Lyra enthusiastically said, before the five people joined hands in a circle, and they bowed their heads before Elrond began to speak.

"Iluvatar, creator of all that is good and fair in the universe, guide and protect the Erso family as they prepare to enter a great period of trial in their lives. Grant them the peace of mind and soul, the clarity to see what is right in your eyes, and, when the time is right, reunite this family, be it in this dimension, or in the Halls of Mandos."

Once Elrond was finished speaking, the five comrades raised their heads, and Galen amiably said, "Thank you for the prayer, Lord Elrond. Let's hope that we meet again before the war ends, for I do not wish to leave my wife a widow and my daughter without a father forever."

"I hope so too, Doctor Erso." Elrond kindly replied. With that, the three Erso's left the Arda camp, leaving the Dwarf and Elf lord alone to consider their next move.

"I pray that Galen can survive the plans that the Sith have for him, Elrond." Balin seriously said, worried about his new friends and how their plans would impact this family.

"I do too, Balin." Elrond said in concurrence, before he said, "All we can do now is trust in the plan that we devised, and trust in Iluvatar to see us through the coming wars."

"Aye. That we can do." Balin replied as the two allies went to go over their troop deployments for the inevitable siege.

_One Day Later_

_Three Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit Of Lah'mu_

_Within the Remnant Camp_

Ruby Rose was enthralled with the many different rebel groups and species, as, until she was ill from the Sith poison that forced her to travel with Daniel and his group in search of a cure several months ago, she had never left her home world of Remnant.

She could hardly believe the so many different species that made up this summit, and it only represented a tiny sliver of the galaxy's races and cultures. She wondered what types of weapons they used, and if they could give her and her team any combat lessons within the next three days, as her lessons with Arden and A'Sharad Hett were very beneficial.

It took a mysterious female voice to snap her out of her thoughts by whispering, "Hey, Ruby. There's a band of Grimm behind you."

At the mention of Grimm, Ruby shrieked like a little child, and pulled out her personal weapon, her High Caliber Sniper-Scythe that she called "Crescent Rose". Unfortunately for her, she only found several people staring at her, and the superior smirk Winter Schnee, who happened to be one of her academy's leaders, as well as the head of security for the Remnant delegation.

"Get a grip on your mind, Rose. We can't afford to have you acting like a wide-eyed tourist at this summit. Too much relies on our teams and us in order to survive the Empire's invasion." Winter crisply said to her subordinate, who only seemed to shrivel at her words.

"Yes, ma'am." Ruby meekly said.

Winter's face then softened by the tiniest of degrees, and she said, "Believe me, Rose, I feel just as out of place here as you do. But, at least I do a better job of hiding it. Now, get back to your team, and start back up your training. We've only got three days before utter chaos breaks loose with all of these disparate groups. "

Ruby, eager for the chance to avoid punishment from the older woman, obediently said, "By your word, ma'am." She then left to find her teammates in order to go over their techniques for the Empire's invasion.

Winter then shook her head in silent amusement at the teenage girl's inexperience, and recalled when she was that naïve before General Ironwood recruited her for the Atlesian military's Special Operations unit.

Ruby quickly made her way to her team's last known location, only to find Team DRAV, which was comprised of the three Jedi Knights known as Daniel Valo, Vega Ryal, Viridian Mallory, and the former mercenary known as Rook, while Asajj Ventress, the remainder of Ruby's team, which was named Team RWBY, and her uncle, Qrow Branwen, waiting for her.

As soon as Qrow turned his head to see his niece, he said, with just a slight slur from alcohol, "Well, look who came in. It's kiddo. It's about time that you came by. We were just ready to have a training session without you."

"Sorry, Uncle. I got distracted by all of the sights." Ruby said in the form of an apology. She then realized that he was drinking, then glared at him and Asajj, and said to the former Jedi Hunter, "Why did you let my uncle drink, Asajj? We've got a big battle to prepare for in six days, and the last thing that we need is him getting drunk."

"Hey, I only let him have two drinks, and they were only moderately alcoholic. Besides, he hadn't had any drinks in a couple of weeks, so I figured that it'd be better for him to splurge just a tiny bit." Asajj said in defense of her companion's drinking.

"Still…" Ruby said, not happy about this, but knowing that this was a great deal of restraint from her drunk uncle.

"Don't worry, Ruby. We won't let your uncle drink another drop of anything but water and milk until this Empire is driven from Lah'mu, and that's a promise." Blake Belladonna reassuringly said to her friend and team leader.

"Anyway, can we get started on training, because I've been doing some private training while on Lah'mu, and I'm really eager to show off my new skills to you guys?" Yang Xiao Long impatiently said to everyone.

"Yeah, why not. It beats just talking aimlessly with all of you people. Plus, my sister will kill us if we slack off this close to the summit." Weiss Schnee, the younger sister of Winter, and last member of Team RWBY, nonchalantly said.

As the ten people prepared to square off for a practice bout between each other, Vega bashfully said to Ruby, "So, what do you think of the groups here, Ruby? Have they been treating you well?"

"Oh." Ruby nervously chuckled as she began to blush a slight color of red before she responded, saying, "Yes. Everyone's been very friendly to me, especially the other Jedi, the Twi'leks, and residents of Arda. They each have so many different weapons and combat styles, and I've been trying to learn as much as I can before we go into battle."

"Well, it certainly makes you a better fighter, not that you're already a great fighter already." Vega quickly said, not wanting to have his compliment taken the wrong way by the young woman that had captured his heart.

To the contrary, she took it the right way, and her blush intensified before she regained control of her body's temperature, and said, "Th-thanks, Vega. How's it feel to be back among your people, especially so many Jedi after the Empire attacked them?"

"It's actually pretty nostalgic. It reminds me of how strong the Jedi Order was before the Clone War. I just hope that we can learn from the mistakes of my Order, and build a better one from the ashes of it." Vega wistfully said, earning sympathy from the young woman who welcomed him and his family to Remnant when they arrived on their world, and, like him, lost family to dark forces in the form of her mother to the Grimm.

"Well, I'm sure that they'd be proud of you all if they saw what you were all becoming, and all that you've accomplished up to now." Ruby sympathetically said before she asked, "I wonder how my ancestor would have felt if he was alive to see us now?"

Vega knew that she was talking about Darth Imperious, a former Dark Council member of Vitiate's Sith Empire, and secret Light-Sider, before he was stranded on Remnant along with the _Barsen'thor_ , or "Warden of the Order", during the Eternal Empire's conquest of the galaxy. Together, they formed the Sages of Ashla in order to combat the Sorcerers of Rhand and other threats in the Unknown Regions. The former eventually established a powerful bloodline that had endured to this day, and whose three remaining descendants included Nephrites Messer, a member of Team RANT, his cousin Nanami, and Ruby herself.

"Don't worry, Ruby. If he saw you right now, he'd be proud of you and what you were on your way to becoming." Vega consolingly said before he heard Qrow whistle, catching the young couple's attention. Once they saw everyone beginning to engage each other in a melee, they knew that the time for talking was over, and that the time for combat had begun.

_Two Hours Later_

Viridian was jugging down as much water as he could swallow from his canteen when he sensed Ahsoka walking towards him with a playful look in her eyes, which caught Viridian's attention, as he would have thought that she would be hard at work preparing everything for the summit.

Deciding to see what her smile was about, he said to the former Jedi Padawan, "Something I can help you with, Ahsoka?"

"I have a surprise for you, Viridian." Ahsoka conspiratorially said to him, which left him baffled before he saw Vesse walking with her father and stepmother, Jane and Niwen Mallory, respectively, who were beaming with joy at seeing the man who had helped bring them together.

Overjoyed to see his brother and sister-in-law in the flesh on Lah'mu, Viridian ran towards them and embraced them, wrapping them in his sweat-drenched arms.

Jane was the first to say something, and said, "Jeez, brother, you stink like a gundark's nest. What happened to you?"

"Training session with mine and Ruby's teams." Viridian quickly replied before he let go, and said to the couple, "What are you guys doing here? I thought that you'd stay on Remnant, given that Niwen here is expecting in just under seven months."

"You do realize that Kes is here, despite her being with child, yes?" Niwen nonchalantly countered, before she said, "There's no way that we were going to let you and Vesse fight the Sith on your own. Jane and I both agreed to come here, while I serve as a healer and combat medic, and Jane and his squad come to take the fight to the Imperials and their dark masters."

"You brought everyone?" Viridian surprisingly said, grateful that he would get to fight beside all of Jane's former squad mates, knowing that they'd need every experienced and able-bodied hand that they could get against the Empire.

"Yep. Even our paid allies are willing to help fight the Empire if they're called upon, Viridian." Jane said, shocking his younger brother, given that they were mercenaries and bounty hunters, despite being on Daniel's payroll.

Before Viridian could protest, Jane explained his reasoning, saying, "Bane was close to finding them, and we hurt him pretty bad before we came here in order to draw him away from them, as he'll be looking for a big dose of payback. They all volunteered to fight with us on our order, given that they know the truth of the Empire, and what's coming our way."

"Well, I'm not going to turn them away if they're gonna volunteer, but they'll be fugitives from the Empire if they help us. I just want to make sure that they know the stakes." Viridian gave in.

"They're all grown men and women, Viridian. They know what they're getting themselves into." Niwen mock-scolded her brother-in-law. She then adopted a grim expression, and said to the Jedi Knight, "Ahsoka wanted to speak to you about Vader, so we'll give you guys some time alone."

With that, Jane, Niwen, and Vesse, left the two Force-sensitive adults alone to discuss their former friend.

Viridian was the first one to speak, saying, "You wanted to talk about Anakin?"

"Tau told me that you guys ran into him during and after Order Sixty-Six, when you guys infiltrated the Jedi Temple in search of a cure for your friends." Ahsoka sadly said, before she continued, saying, "I want to know what you felt from him in both battles, because I want to know if he can be saved."

Viridian, after taking a moment to gather his thoughts over Ahsoka's sudden declaration, said, "Well, I sensed pain and conflict from Anakin during the fall of the Jedi Temple, and anger and disgust from Vader during the second encounter." He then added, "Tau told me of your cause, and I want to help you with it."

As Ahsoka stood there in disbelief at Viridian's agreement to help her with her insane cause of redemption, he continued, beginning with saying, "I spent the last few days trying to think of a way to help you with Vader and what you could do. Despite what he did, I am certain he doesn't need to die."

"I…. I don't understand. I would have thought that you of all people would want to have him killed, considering what he and Keen did to Vesse." Ahsoka numbly said, unable to comprehend what she had just heard.

"Tau told all of us why Anakin fell to the Dark Side, and I pity him. Put in his position, with all of his power and internal struggles, I might have done the same thing. Hopefully, most of us won't know what we're truly capable of." Viridian sympathetically said to her.

He then continued, saying, "Anakin didn't kill Vesse. Keen did that. He is the only one I blame for that crime, and he faced justice already. Anakin will also face justice but I think that he could do a lot of good like Ventis is doing."

"Well, your pity is appreciated, but, honestly, I don't know how I'm going to redeem him, especially since almost everyone here wants him dead for his war crimes, and I don't even blame them for feeling that way." Ahsoka despondently said as she sat down, with Viridian sitting by his old friend.

"Well, maybe if you work alone, the situation won't present itself. If we all work together, then we're bound to come up with a good plan. Besides, we might be able to reach Anakin in a few days when he and Sidious invade the system." Viridian said with a twinge of hope in his voice.

"I doubt that. At the very least, we can instill some doubt in him about his current course, and that'll be enough for now. Besides, I already have a family in you guys, and I sure don't want to risk losing that over my selfish whims." Ahsoka said, earning her a slap on her head by Viridian.

"OW! What was that for?" Ahsoka incredulously said as she rubbed her now-sore head.

"For calling your desires to save your surrogate brother selfish, that's what for." Viridian said through a smile. He then resolutely said, "That may have been how the old Jedi Order did things but the new Jedi Order does things differently. Besides, Tau told us of how Luke, Anakin's son, redeemed him through love and compassion, and that's what we're going to need in order to save him from himself."

Ahsoka found truth in his words, and full of hope in her voice, said, "Then maybe that's the kind of Jedi that I could one day be."

Viridian smiled at that, and, understanding Ahsoka's desires to remain independent for now, said, "I'm sure that everyone would like that, Ahsoka. Now, I'd better get back to my training session, and you'd better talk to Tau, as we've only got three days left before the politics of war begins, and the real challenge begins."

With that said, both young adults left to attend to their respective duties, and prepared for the battle that would make or break the Shadow Alliance.

_One Day Later_

_Two Days Until the Shadow Alliance Summit Of Lah'mu_

_Onboard the_ Empire's Vengeance

Fifty _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, thirty _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, twenty _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, ten _Acclamator_ -class assault ships, and forty-five Imperial Light Cruisers. That was the fully ammased fleet that awaited Darth Sidious's command, and he was impressed with the concentration of power that he held in his hands. He could feel his apprentice and acolytes meditating in the Dark Side of the Force for the onslaught that would erupt five days from now, and he relished it. His only regret was that he could not go down and partake in the slaughter of the Jedi and their allies first hand. Nevertheless, controlling the battle through the Force with Nial Declann would be the next best thing.

All that he could do now was patiently wait for the carnage that would ensure, and await the capture of his descendant and future apprentice.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends another long chapter of my story. Sorry that it took so long to write, I had to figure out what I was going to say, and I had a lot of stuff going on, so it delayed my writing by a bit. I hope that this chapter makes up for it. So, only two days left until the summit begins, and all of the major players are here. I can only wait to show you guys what goes on for both the summit and battle between the Empire and Shadow Alliance. How are you guys doing on April 14, 2018? I'm doing well, as I've almost finished my American Civil War book, and will soon read a new book that I'm getting through the mail. Hey, as of now, I've surpassed 190,000 words in this story in almost three and a half months. How crazy is that? Well, I'd better get going, as I've got so much to do, and so little time to do it in. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	43. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone! How are you all doing on April 16, 2018? I’m doing well, as I got a good chunk of my oral presentation done for community college, got through work for the weekend, and played some video games with my own Xbox Live account that I just started up. Sorry for not writing yesterday, I wanted to take a day off to rest before I worked at the movie theater. But, I promise that I will write at least 1,500 words today to make up for not writing at all yesterday. Anyway, I almost forgot to tell you that I finished my American Civil War book yesterday, and I’ll soon be starting a new book that I’m getting through the mail: Strategy Strikes Back. I can’t wait to read that Star Wars military history book. Well, I’d better get to writing, as there’s only two days left until the Shadow Alliance summit begins. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me.
> 
> (April 17, 2018 Addendum) Forgive the addendum, but I have some news that needs to be shared with everyone. First off, as of about an hour ago, it has been reported that former First Lady Barbara Bush has passed away at the elderly age of 92. Let us take a moment of silence to honor the noble woman who I believe was a good and moral person, and pray that she is at peace. 
> 
> Well, now that we’ve gotten past the sad news, I have more exciting news that must be shared. Not too long ago, I learned that Christopher Tolkien is releasing at least one more book based off his father’s writings, and that book is titled The Fall of Gondolin. I so can’t wait to get that book off of Amazon, as I pre-ordered it for a steal, and encourage all of you Tolkien fans to get this book, as I know that it will be a hit. I also pre-ordered the final tie-in book to Mass Effect: Andromeda, and I can’t wait to read it as well. And, my Strategy Strikes Back book came in the mail as well, so now I’ve got another great book to read later on. Well, I’ve taken up enough of your time with my rambling, I’d better get back to work.

_Meanwhile, On Lah’mu_

_Within the_ Second Chance

 

Tau and Celebion were patiently waiting for Senators Mon Mothma, Garm Bel Iblis, and Bail Organa to receive his call, as they both knew that they would be immensely relieved that Viridian and the others agreed upon using the Empire’s superweapons for defeating the Yuuzhan Vong and other threats.

 

After about ten minutes of waiting, the Jedi Knight and Dúnedain Ranger saw the holoimages of the three Imperial senators come into focus, and Bail opened up the discussion by asking, “ _Jedi Palpatine. This is an unexpected call, as your summit isn’t supposed to begin for two more days. Is something wrong?_ ”

 

“Quite the contrary, Senator Organa.” Celebion said, before he continued, saying, “Viridian and the others have reconsidered using the Empire’s superweapons, and are now in favor of destroying them altogether.”

 

To say that the three politicians were shocked at this development would be a gross understatement, as each senator appeared to be on the verge of fainting from this new turn of events.

 

Mon, always the peacemaker, regained control of her motor functions enough to ask, “ _Can you explain what changed all of your minds, as this is a huge decision?_ ”

 

“Simply put, Senator Mothma, Viridian and the others, with most of them becoming parents, are seeing things in a different light, and they want to mitigate the death that would result from such indiscriminate weapons.” Tau explained, surprising the three rebel leaders.

 

“ _Well, I can’t say that I’m sad to see that the plan changed, but I hope that you’ve got a good backup plan for dealing with the apocalypse that all of our enemies would cause._ ” Garm said as if a terrible burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

 

At that sentence, Tau smiled triumphantly, and said, “We’re still going to militarize the galaxy in the event of a war with… well, just about anyone. But, we’re going to play on the Vong’s sense of honor to request a duel with the Supreme Overlord so that we can expose Omini as the secret ruler of the Yuuzhan Vong, and force them to coexist with us as equals.”

 

“Can you elaborate on that for us, Tau?” Mon curiously said, wondering just where the Jedi clone was going with this.

 

“Well, Senator Mothma, the Yuuzhan Vong’s Supreme Overlord, Shimrra Jamaane, is a puppet of the only Force-Sensitive Yuuzhan Vong, the Shamed Master Shaper known only as Onimi. Our plan is to create a blockade that will, unless they break through and suffer massive casualties, keep the Yuuzhan Vong in darkspace. This will force the Yuuzhan Vong to accept our terms for a duel between Shimrra and a champion of our own. If our champion can kill him, we can demoralize the Yuuzhan Vong, force them to come to the bargaining table, and prevent the war with them from ever taking place. And, if any radicals within the Yuuzhan Vong decide to take the war into their own hands, they’ll have to face the rest of their people.” Tau explained, making all three senators gawk at how well thought-out this plan of theirs war.

 

“ _You’re risking a lot on faith, Tau. I’m willing to put my faith in you, but I don’t know if the rest of our senatorial allies will support your plans._ ”  Mon cautiously said.

 

“You mean that you’ve found a few more Senators to ally with us?” Tau said, hopeful that the Shadow Alliance could get more legitimate support for rallying the galaxy against the Empire.

 

“ _Not many, Tau. Senators Doman Beruss of Illodian, Tynnra Pamlo of Taris, Vasp Vaspar of the Taldot Sector, Giddean Danu of Kuat, Chi Eekway Papanoida of Wroona, and a few others._ ” Bail responded. “ _The rest of the remaining signers of the Delegation of 2000 are still too afraid of reprisals from the Empire on their homeworlds to help us._ ”

 

“Well, hopefully all of that will change when the galaxy sees that the Empire can be beaten in battle, and hears the message that we have to send once the battle’s over.” Tau cryptically said.

 

Garm, not liking being kept in the dark on just about anything, irritatingly said, “ _If you’ve got a plan on this battle, I think that we should hear of it._ ”

 

“Well, since you asked so nicely, Senator.” Tau sarcastically said before he bluntly answered, saying, “Thanks to Berch Teller reactivating the old Shadowfeed relays that were shut down after the Clone War, we’re going to use the CIS’s own news network to broadcast the battle and our victory speech to the galaxy.”

 

After a moment of silence, Bail numbly said, “ _That is so simple, but so brilliant._ ”

 

“ _It could show the galaxy that the Empire isn’t as invincible that it claims that it is, and can inspire other rebel groups and other Imperials to join us!_ ” Garm triumphantly said.

 

“ _Not to mention that we can reassure the people of the galaxy of our intentions, as we don’t want them to think that we’re terrorists._ ” Mon insightfully said, which Tau nodded, in agreement with the Chandrilian’s sentiments.

 

“Yeah.” Ahsoka replied as she stepped into view, nodding at the three senators before she continued, saying, “During my last couple of months as a Padawan in the Clone War, the rebels that I was helping on Onderon nearly ran into the same problem before Steela was given leadership of them.”

 

“Ahsoka.” Celebion said, seeing the worry on her face, and asked, “Is everything all right?”

 

“Janus requested to speak with Tau over your comlink. He said that it was of critical importance, and that you were the only one that he trusted with this knowledge.” Ahsoka worriedly said.

 

“I see.” Tau nervously said, before he turned to his three senatorial allies, and courteously said, “My apologies, senators, but I have to cut this short, as I’ve got another matter to attend to. May Iluvatar look after us all in these dark times.”

 

“ _Thank you, Jedi Palpatine._ ” Bail politely said before the transmission ended, and Tau quickly pulled out his personal comlink.

 

After typing in Janus’s frequency, he said into it, “Janus, this is Tau. Ahsoka said that you had an urgent matter to speak of with me. Is everything all right.”

 

" _Tau, it’s Janus... You... just come here. We made some significant progress with the historical document._ " the prince’s voice sounded... upset like he just learned something terrible about someone he once thought was a great friend.

 

Tau, knowing when to avoid talking excessively, said, “All right. Ahsoka, Celebion, and I will be there in ten minutes, tops.” He then ended the transmission, and the three friends quickly made their way to the Carthean camp in eight minutes.

 

The three friends, after temporarily relinquishing their weapons to the Carthean guards, stepped into the tent and saw Janus sitting in his chair with the Templar captains/honor guard always on duty. But, Tau and Ahsoka could sense their shame as well, along with Iminyë, who was trying to comfort the young prince, who was merely staring at the scroll, his eyes misted and he appeared obviously distraught.  
  
"So... I am guessing it’s not good news?" Tau asked cautiously.  
  
"Remember how I told you about our great kingdom and empire that was born when they successfully defeated the Rakata under the first king?" Janus asked.  
  
Tau nodded, "Yes."  
  
"Then there was the last king whose tyrannical ways caused his sons to rebel and kill him, which later lead to the civil war, with some of the sons and their legions falling to the worship of Morgoth?"  
  
"We remember." Celebion said in confirmation.   
  
Janus looked up at Tau, "The Cartheans did face the Nephilim before. Every few millennia they would awaken from their slumber and attack our people, killing all Force-sensitives they came across and capturing the non-Force-sensitive members to convert into a machine called the Counts. They would speak to us and be responsible for maintaining the Nephilim. As they slumbered the amount of devastation, every war would be costly but we'd always prevail... The last two kings to deal with them before the civil war... they... willingly gave non-force-sensitive citizens of the empire to the Nephilim... the very same people who are the ancestors of the Opalkins."  
  
Ahsoka's eyes widened, "Are you saying that your people sacrificed the ancient Opalkins to the Nephilim to avoid a fight?"  
  
"That’s what the record says." Janus said, "It’s no wonder, the great empire deserved what it got." he spat vehemently.

 

“I… I don’t know what to say, Janus.” Tau numbly said, before he sympathetically said, “What do you think that this means for your people and the Olpakins?”  
  


“I wish I knew, Tau. But, I do know one thing. We need to come clean to the Olpakins at some point about my ancestors’ sins if there’s ever to be peace between our peoples.” Janus sadly, but resolutely said.

 

“Agreed. Lies and propaganda can only last so long before they backfire, and blow up in your face.” Celebion said, completely agreeing with the Carthean prince’s line of thinking.

 

“I agree.” Ahsoka responded before she continued, her spymaster-training taking over as she said, “But, we need to time this right, as we don’t want the Cartheans to be demoralized, or suffer from defections out of outrage for the previous kings’ crimes.”

 

“I know.” Janus said, agreeing with both people’s assessments. He then said, “Can we call Viridian, Daniel, and the others to come here? Considering all that they’ve done for the Carthean people, they have as much right to know about this as we do.”

 

“Of course, Janus.” Tau compliantly said, not wishing to anger the young prince when he was in such a distraught state. He quickly pulled out a datapad, and typed a message to all of his friends that said, _Janus needs to speak with you all about a Carthean matter. Get here yesterday._

_Twenty Minutes Later_

 

“Stang.” Viridian angrily said as he clenched his fists in anger over the Cartheans’ betrayal of the Olpakins, with Kes putting a hand on his shoulder in order to calm him down.

 

“I… I can’t believe this.” Daniel morosely said as he took in the full scope of what she had just heard from Tau and Janus.

 

“How could these supposed worshippers of Iluvatar betray their people’s trust in such a heinous way?” Vega asked no one in particular, dumbfounded that the Cartheans would abandon their morals and beliefs for expediency.

 

“How could we not have seen this?” Xey heartbrokenly said, realizing that the Cartheans helped create the Knights of Olpaka through their sacrificial appeasement of innocent Olpakins, and hating herself for not realizing this.

 

“It’s not any of our faults.” Tau resolutely said, before he continued, saying, “Janus’s predecessors made their choice, and it doomed countless innocents to a fate worse than death. But, none of us could have seen this coming, as they had millennia to bury the truth through lies and deception. Now, we have a chance to rectify their atrocities. Someday soon, we have to come clean about their crimes if we’re going to stand a chance of destroying the Knights of Olpaka.”

 

“Should we tell the rebel leaders at the summit?” Kes asked. “If Vlad, or some other high-ranking member of the Knights, decides to derail our summit through telling them of this betrayal, they might pull out of the Shadow Alliance before the battle begins.

 

“I… I don’t know, Kes. I honestly don’t know.” Janus fearfully said, terrified over the prospect of causing the Shadow Alliance’s dissolution before it truly began.

 

“I think that you should tell them.” Iminyë blurted out, making everyone turn their heads to the ancient elven princess in reply.

 

Instead of acting out of fear, like Iminyë feared that they would, Janus, while fighting the tears that threatened to burst from his eyes, asked in complete seriousness, “Why do you think that?”

 

“If you let this hidden truth fester, then it will only build and build until its effects can become uncontrollable, like when the bulk of the Númenóreans abandoned Iluvatar in the Second Age, and He destroyed their island as punishment for trying to invade Valinor. But, if you show that you aren’t like your ancestors, then there is a strong chance that these rebel leaders will understand, and agree to ally with us.” Iminyë explained to her boyfriend, with Celebion nodding his head in agreement.

 

One by one, the Jedi nodded their support of the idea, and Ahsoka’s morals and sense of decency won out over her grizzled pragmatism. She said, “All right. But, we have to take precautions in case anyone tries to kill Janus over this news, as some of them aren’t as restrained as we are.”

 

“That, I can agree upon, Ahsoka.” Janus said, his resolve returning now that his friends had come up with a plan for dealing with the fallout of this horrific revelation.

 

_One Day Later_

_Twenty Hours Until the Shadow Alliance Summit Of Lah’mu_

 

Ralon Zalveniad, an Arkanian Pureblood, as well as the highest-ranking Confederate officer of the Clone War and Imperial cleanup, was admiring the sight of the various rebel cells preparing for the imminent battle that would begin in four days.

 

He witnessed the Remnant forces, and their version of battle droids integrate with the organic forces of the Cartheans and Free Peoples of Arda. He saw the Clone Troopers and his Nimbus Commandos discussing their respective tactics and strategies. He saw the various Jedi, such as A’Sharad Hett, K’Kruhk, and the Dark Woman, conversing with several rebel leaders.

 

Each sight pleased the admiral, as he saw the devastation that both the Clone War and the Imperial rule brought to the galaxy over the last seven years. He then saw an infamous Jedi spy, Quinlan Vos, walk towards him, and Ralon said, “Something that I can help you with, Jedi Vos?”

 

“What, no ‘General Vos’, Admiral Zalveniad?” Quinlan quipped, earning a chuckle from the Arkanian admiral.

 

“I think that we’re all equals here, Jedi Vos, especially since the systems that we once served are no more.” Ralon dismissively said, earning a smile from the Kiffar Jedi. 

 

“I can live with that, Ralon.” Quinlan said as he surveyed the cooperation between the many anti-Imperial groups.

 

“Do you think that we have a chance of winning this fight?” Quinlan suddenly asked, his thoughts focused on his family and their fate if the Shadow Alliance fell in the next few days.

 

“I thought that you Jedi didn’t believe in chance, Quinlan.” Ralon jokingly said. He then got serious, and said, “Just in case you weren’t aware of this, my forces helped the Viridian, Tau, their allies, and the people of Arda survive Sauron and the Yuuzhan Vong. We even managed to but enough time for the Jedi to take out their Worldship, which was half the size of a moon.”

 

“Well, then this should be a walk in the park, because we’ve just got a bunch of Imperials and their Sith masters to worry about, and not a fallen Celestial and hyper-advanced invaders from another galaxy.” Quinlan said in relief, before he added, “And, call me ‘Quin’. It rolls off of the tongue better than ‘Quinlan’, doesn’t it?”

 

“Well, it certainly is shorter.” Ralon admitted. He then saw Cirro Stratus, the leader of the Jabiim Nimbus Commandos, an elite Confederate unit that inflicted heavy casualties on the Republic during their invasion of the rainy world.

 

“Admiral, our forces are all ready for your inspection.” The younger brother of Jabiim revolutionary leader Alto Stratus before his death by a Jedi’s hand at the end of the battle for Cobalt Station. He politely, if bluntly, said to Quinlan, “Master Jedi.”

 

“At ease, Commander Stratus. We’re all allies here.” Quinlan said in a friendly manner, which made the shock trooper relax, if only by a small degree.

 

“I know, Sir.” Cirro neutrally said, before turned back to face Ralon, then saluted his superior officer, and said, “I’ll make sure that the men are ready for your inspection.”

 

“Good. I’ll be ready in five minutes, max.” Ralon replied, before Cirro took his leave.

 

As soon as he thought that the Nimbus Commando leader was out of earshot, Quinlan curiously asked, “Any relation to Alto Stratus?”

 

“His younger brother, actually. He found himself thrusted into command of the new Nimbus Commandos after the Republic abandoned their allies to the Nationalists, and they fled the planet after I became the highest-ranking Confederate leader, considering that they didn’t want to have anything to do with the Republic or Empire.” Ralon factually said before he sympathetically continued, saying, “Don’t bring up the Clone War with him, because he lost more than his brother to the Jedi. His sister fell to the Jedi not long after Kenobi was captured by Ventress.”

 

Quinlan nodded in understanding, remembering how vicious and vengeful he became after discovering that his great-aunt, Tinté Vos, who, before her murder, was the Sheyf, or ruler, of the twin planets of Kiffu and Kiffex. He also remembered how she was responsible for the poisoning of her brother,Kurlin Vos, the previous Sheyf, and the murders of Quinlan’s own parents via Anzati, in order to fuel her unquenchable lust for power.

 

“Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going to inspect my men.” Ralon said.

 

However, before he could get far, Quinlan asked, “So, where are your Battle Droids and fleets, Ralon? I’d have figured that they’d be here, considering what the stakes are?”

 

“Sorry, Quin. They’re on another mission. Tau’s orders.” Ralon cryptically said, which made Quinlan’s eyes briefly shoot up in understanding, and he nodded in eager anticipation for the surprise that the Empire was in for when the time was right.

 

“All right. May the Force be with you, Admiral Zalveniad.” Quinlan courteously said before he left to allow the Arkanian Pureblood to inspect his men.

 

_Two Hours Later_

_Eighteen Hours Until the Shadow Alliance Summit Of Lah’mu_

_Within the_ Second Chance

 

As Ventis was making repairs to the CEC YT-1300’s turbolasers, he sensed the presence of a Clone Trooper coming up from behind him, and he turned around to see Rex and Fordo in their Clone Trooper armor from each of their legions.

 

Curious as to what these two men were doing here, Ventis stood up from where he was kneeling, and politely asked, “Something that I can help you guys with? I’m a little busy with repairing the energy flow to our turbolasers, but I can spare a few minutes.” 

 

“It won’t take long, _Gallies_.” Fordo angrily said, which nearly made the Jedi Apprentice reach for his lightsaber in fear for his life before he sensed no true hostility within either men.

 

He then realized that they were testing him, and he calmly said, “If you were trying to get a reaction out of me, you’ll have to do better than that. I’ve been called a lot of things in both Gallies’s life, and mine, and I can handle whatever you two men can come up with.”

 

Rex then smiled at the small speech that the older human gave, and said, “Good, because, per Commander Tano’s orders, the two of us have been asked to be your personal bodyguards in the event that the unknown Imperials try to come after you.”

 

Ventis looked on with mixed emotions at what he was hearing. He felt great anger at Ahsoka, as she had told them of his previous life as the notorious Dark Jedi Gallies before his redemption by his son, which could have ended in one of the three present men getting wounded or killed before the summit. At the same time, he was touched that she had taken the time to ask two of the best of the GAR’s soldiers, one of which was her closest surviving friend, to look after him.

 

“Well, if I’m being honest with myself, I don’t know what to say.” Ventis said as neutrally as he could in order to avoid betraying his conflicting feelings on the matter. “Why did Ahsoka tell you of my past?”

 

“Because, in the event that these Imperial agents try to turn us against you, we’ll stay loyal to you and the others.” Fordo pragmatically said. He then calmly said, “Don’t worry, she only told us, so you don’t have to worry about your unwilling past getting out. She told us of how you were a victim of Sith plans, and Gallies’s crimes weren’t your fault.”

 

“At least I can trust you guys to be honest.” Ventis sarcastically said, before he turned to Rex, and said, “Well, at the very least, if you guy are going to be my bodyguards, you’re going to pull your weight around here. Help me get this junk heap ready for the Imperials’ arrival.”

 

“Deal.” Rex said, before he embarrassingly rubbed the back of his head as he admitted, “But, we’ll need some help with the more technical stuff, considering that this ship is from the future.”

 

At that admission, Ventis smiled in joy of getting the chance to teach two more people the intricacies of this advanced ship. He then said, “It would be my pleasure.” With that said, the three men headed to the back of the ship in order to begin to work on the ship’s sublight engines.

 

_Four Hours Later_

_Fourteen Hours Until the Shadow Alliance Summit Of Lah’mu_

_Within the Camp of the Commenor Underground, the Atrivis Resistance Group, and the Christophsis resistance_

 

Arhul Nemo, the second-in-command of the Commenor Underground, was growing more and more anxious as the summit’s commencing grew closer by the minute. He noticed that the Christophsis insurgents’ emissary, the up-and-coming Christophsis politician known as Kole Drane, and the founder of the Atrivis Resistance Group, Travia Chan, showing similar signs of nervousness.

 

Arhul walked over to his two fellow resistance cell leaders, and said, “That gut feeling of you two working, because it sure is working for me?”

 

“I know what you mean. If it wasn’t for Saw Gerrera and the Jedi being here, and for Senator Organa and his compatriots organizing this summit, I’d have never come here.” Travia replied.

 

“This whole summit smells funny, if you ask me.” Kole said, before he continued to explain his stance on the matter, saying, “These Yuuzhan Vong, Cartheans, and races from Arda and Remnant aren’t like any other people that any of us have encountered, and that worries me. Not to mention the fact that the Remnant forces have Battle Droids among them doesn’t make me feel any safer.”

 

“For all of your sakes, I hope that you guys don’t carry those feelings into the summit, because the last thing that we need is infighting amongst ourselves due to fear and racism.” Ahsoka said, surprising and scaring the three rebel leaders with her sudden appearance.

 

“F-fulcrum! How much did you hear?” Arhul fearfully said, not wishing to anger this young but much more equipped fighter.

 

“Enough to know that you shouldn’t judge our allies before you get to know them.” Ahsoka scolded the three men.

 

She then continued, saying, “If you don’t want to be a part of the Shadow Alliance, then you can leave after the summit. But, you’re not going to leave beforehand, as we don’t want anyone to lose their lives to any of our enemies.”

 

Seeing the underlying threat within that warning, Kole suspiciously said, “And what exactly does that mean, Fulcrum? Are you all under orders to eliminate us if we go rogue?”

 

“No!” Ahsoka ardently denied, before she said, “The Empire is on the hunt for the Shadow Alliance, and, if you leave Lah’mu before we’re done here, we can’t guarantee your safety if you leave the protection of the fleet.”

 

“And what ‘protection’ could we need on such a remote world, Fulcrum?” Travia inquisitively asked, before he put the pieces together in his mind, and angrily said, “You’ve set the Empire after us, haven’t you?”

 

“Actually, the Empire is aware of our summit, and is going to try and take us out of the game before we can mobilize.” Said the mysterious Jedi known as Tau, who then introduced himself with a bow, saying, “Tau Palpatine, at your service.”

 

“’Palpatine?!’”The three rebel leaders incredulously said, before they each tried to reach for their weapons, Tau immobilized them with Force Stasis.

 

“Don’t worry, the Force Stasis will wear off in a minute or two. I just want to reassure you that I am nothing like my ancestor, and desire to create a free galaxy instead of a dictatorship. Unfortunately, to do so, we need to fight off the many enemies that are coming for us, and we all need to unite if we’re to survive the coming tribulations. We’ll explain everything when the summit begins, and I’ll reveal my true lineage to everyone in order to show them the stakes. And, after we beat back the Empire, you can choose to opt out of the Shadow Alliance if you desire.” Tau said in a comforting tone, which, unfortunately, did nothing to calm the rebel leaders’ fears.

 

He then sighed in defeat, and imploringly said to them, “Look, Saw Gerrera is willing to give me a chance to prove myself, so I only ask that you give me a chance to prove my good intentions.”

 

He then released the Force Stasis, and the three leaders found that they could move again. Kole angrily said, “Fine. We’ll play by your rules for now. But, one wrong move, and we’re out when the Empire’s beaten back. Got it?”

 

“That’s more than I hoped for. Have a good day, sirs.” Tau cordially said as he and Ahsoka left the three rebel leaders alone to take in the new revelations.

 

_Thirteen Hours Later_

_Fifty-Six Minutes Until the Shadow Alliance Summit Of Lah’mu_

_Within the_ Second Chance

 

“Hard to believe that we got all of these groups together.” Tau satisfyingly said to his girlfriend as he prepared for the summit to begin in under an hour.

 

“Let’s just hope that they’ll join us for the war to come.” Ahsoka worriedly said as Tau kissed her cheek in a reassuring gesture.

 

“Have faith in them, Ahsoka. They’ll come through for us.” Tau said in order to ease Ahsoka’s nerves.

 

“I’m more worried about Ulra, Jasmine, Jak, and the others. They’ve already begun their infiltration mission within the Jedi Temple, and we won’t hear from them for the next couple of days. We need to prepare for when they contact us if we’re going to destroy the Dark Side nexus before Sidious invades the system.” Ahsoka forebodingly said.

 

“Well, thanks to the bugs that we placed within the temple during the last incursion there, they’ll have a distinct advantage of being able to predict the enemy’s movements.” Nagme comfortingly said to the Togruta.

 

The former Master Shaper had finally returned to the _Second Chance_ ’s crew after helping integrate her people into the various rebel groups that were within the system.

 

“I know, but I still wish that they had more support.” Ahsoka replied, before she sighed in defeat, and said, “Well, I guess that there’s nothing that we can do now except trust in Iluvatar.”

 

“Exactly, Ahsoka.” Celebion said in concurrence, and then continued, saying, “We’d better get ready to send the transmission to our prospecting allies, as we’ve got under an hour until the summit begins.”

 

“Agreed.” Tau and Ahsoka simultaneously said in agreement, before they looked at each other awkwardly for a second before they prepared for the inevitable quarrelling that would erupt once the summit began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, that’s a wrap on the final chapter before the summit begins. So, what did you guys think of it? By the way, the Carthean revelations and atrocities were Squasher’s idea, and I must say that it was enjoyable to implement his idea, as he is much more brilliant than I am in coming up with story ideas. So, how are you all doing on April 19, 2018? I’m doing well, aside from a head cold, as I’ve been doing well in school and work, and will have tomorrow off to relax and work. I’ve also been playing the original Mass Effect Trilogy, and I’m already up to Feros in the first game. I’ll be playing all of my games on both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One, which will take me at least a year, which will keep me very busy. Oh, one more thing. As of now, I’m one chapter away from having written over two hundred thousand words in my story, and it hasn’t even been four months. Ah, how could I forget the dreaded anniversary of the death of the Expanded Universe? It’s only six days away, and that fills my heart with great sorrow for the destruction of something that I greatly loved. Well, enough of my rambling, I’d better get going. Have a good night, May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	44. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone. How are you doing on this good day of April 21, 2018? I’m doing well, aside from a head cold, as I’ve already gotten up to Mass Effect 2 after the Horizon mission, and it’s only been two days since I last spoke to you guys. Now, before I begin, there are a few things that I’d like to get out of the way. First off, I’m sorry that it took so long to post this chapter, but I had to clear some things with MandoCommander, as I’m using his OCs in my story, and I had to make sure that I was using then consistently with his storytelling. Second, thank you, Powerslammer, for the honest and heartwarming review, as it does me joy to know that you are enjoying my works, considering that you were the guy that convinced me to write in the first place. Third, I also want you guys to know that my writing may be a little slow for the next couple of weeks, but that isn’t because of the video games. It’s because I’ve got a lot of preparing to do for the upcoming final exams and projects for community college before I graduate. So, now that that’s out of the way, prepare for a summit unlike any that you’ve seen before. I promise that none of you will be disappointed by it, or by the battle that is to come. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me, as I’ve got a lot to do, and so little time to do it in. Well, on with the story. 
> 
> (April 23, 2018 Addendum.) Hey guys. What’s up? I’m doing all right, as I worked over four hours today at my job, did some homework, and played some video games, and am now writing for a while. Anyway, I recently learned that former United States President George H. W. Bush was hospitalized a few hours ago, and I pray that he makes a swift recovery. But, it isn’t up to me, unfortunately, it’s up to God, and I pray that, whatever decision he makes, it is a loving and merciful one, especially so soon after the passing of Barbara Bush. Well, that’s it for now. Enjoy the chapter.

_Twenty Minutes Later_

_Thirty-Five Minutes Until the Shadow Alliance Summit Of Lah’mu_

_Within The_ Lambda _-classT-4a shuttle_ Lambda

“ _And the Shadow Alliance will accept your inclusion at their summit, Admiral Volta?_ ” Grand Moff Trachta asked his pupil, who nodded in reply before he continued, saying, “ _Good. The Emperor has decided that you are in a position too valuable to risk being exposed. I wish it were different, Shonn, but the Emperor has decreed it, and we must obey. So, until further orders are given, you are to maintain your cover within the Shadow Alliance. Keep us posted on any further developments, Grand Moff Trachta, out.”_

With that, the cyborg Grand Moff, ended his transmission, leaving Shonn worried for the fate of her people, as she wondered whether the Shadow Alliance would commit to a rescue operation, despite the Jedi’s promises of doing so.

 

Deciding to put her trust in the gods, whether or not they were the Valar, or the gods of her people, that the leaders of the Shadow Alliance would see things her way, she prepared to listen to the Shadow Alliance summit, and report back to her superiors once the first round of deliberations was over.

_Ten Minutes Later_

_Twenty-Five Minutes Until the Shadow Alliance Summit Of Lah’mu_

_On Coruscant/Imperial Center_

_Within the Works_

_2.5 Kilometers From the Jedi Temple_

Ulra was saddened to see how far the Works area near the Jedi Temple had fallen into disrepair after the Empire took over the galaxy. She felt the pain from the few inhabitants within the lower levels of Coruscant, and the Force blasted the despair and agony from each individual in torrents. She turned to her husband, and felt the anger and rage at the lack of regard that the Empire held for those that fell beneath their notice.

 

She was shaken out of her thoughts by the warbling of Arseven, who wondered in droidspeak about how they were going to make it through the Works in order to infiltrate the Jedi Temple.

 

“Well, we’ve got two days before we need to get into position for you Jedi to destroy the Sith shrine, so we’d better follow the plan that Viridian and Whiplash came up with, or we’re all droid-bait.” Jak replied to the advanced droid, and blasted at a nearby feral droid that was wondering too close to their right flank for his comfort.

 

“Then it’s fortunate that you guys already infiltrated the Temple a few months ago, and that the Empire hasn’t found the bugs that you placed within it.” Uriah commented after he used his lightsaber to hack apart several droids as well.

 

Once the team made their way to the hidden passageway that the Jedi used last time to infiltrate the Jedi Temple, they entered it one at a time, and they found several dozen Cthons fighting with each other over scraps of food. As the covert team attempted to sneak past the cannibalistic beings, one of the Cthons caught their scent, and alerted the entire pack to their presence.

 

“Oh, _kriff_!” Jasmine cursed as she drew her lightsaber, while Arseven fled to avoid the now-inevitable carnage, and the rest of her friends drew their respective weapons in order to defend themselves.

 

_Concurrently, Within the Khar Delba System_

_Onboard the_ Empire’s Vengeance

 

“Grand Vizier Pestage, Councilor Amedda, you must be wary. I sense a disturbance in the Force.” Darth Sidious said to his two most-trusted bureaucratic servants within both the Empire and the Order of the Sith Lords.

 

He then continued, saying, “The Sith shrine has given me a vision of several Jedi and their allies, who will seek to infiltrate the Jedi Temple. Unfortuantely, for what reason, remains unclear to me at this time.”

 

“ _Did the vision reveal who the Jedi were, my lord?_ ” Mas Amedda asked.

 

“Two Cathar, one a young female, and the other a middle-aged male, a Mandalorian, a Miraluka, and an astromech droid.” Sidious replied, before he said, “Put the Temple on alert, and capture the droid so we can learn what the Shadow Alliance knows of our plans, or… if they know of the shrine. We cannot allow the Jedi and their allies to gain the upper hand over us in this delicate stage of power.”

 

“ _What of the Jedi and their Mandalorian ally, master? Would you prefer that we capture them in order to replenish your ranks for the Inquisitors?_ ” Sate Pestage asked.

 

“No. Once we defeat the Shadow Alliance, we will have all of the time that we need to fill up the ranks of our servants with more pliable people. Kill the Jedi and the Mandalorian.” Sidious dismissively replied, before the two politicians bowed their heads in compliance with their master’s decrees. 

 

“Send Raza, Bruticus, and Satar to defend the Shrine in the event that the Jedi try to defile it. As for the Temple itself, I leave its defenses in your capable hands.” Sidious ordered to Sate and Mas for three of his best Inquisitors to defend his most valuable resource. He then menacingly ordered the two politicians, “ _Do. Not. Fail. Me._ Or, the consequences will be… _costly_.”

 

With that final warning ended, he closed the transmission, and was left with the eight Royal Guards that protected him, and his apprentice, Darth Vader.

 

“Is something the matter, my apprentice?” Sidious asked Vader.

 

“I fail to see why you left the defenses of the Sith’s greatest resource in the hands of three Inquisitors and two politicians, even if the latter two have done much to advance the cause of the Sith.” Vader dismissively said, earning a scowl from his master.

 

“Do you doubt my wisdom, Lord Vader?” Sidious lowly asked.

 

“No, my master. Only the capabilities of your servants, as Amedda and Bruticus are inept when it comes to battlefield experience.” Vader deferentially said to his master, avoiding another shock of Force Lightning from hitting the Sith Apprentice.

 

“Pestage and the other Inquisitors will make sure that the Temple’s defenses will survive the coming trial.” Sidious explained to the cyborg, before he continued, confidently saying, “The Temple and its defenders are more that strong enough to handle three Jedi and their two allies. We need to focus our attention on the greater threat of the Jedi and their allies. Once that is done, we can begin to sweep aside the last vestiges of freedom across the galaxy, starting with the Imperial Senate.” He spat out those last two words for the bureaucratic system that existed in order to keep the illusion of tolerance and freedom ringing in the known galaxy.

 

“Very well, my master.” Vader deferentially said to his master, before he asked, “What of the Marek boy, master? If Tau is indeed captured, and reveals what he knows to us, then the boy will not be needed to flush out any further subversive elements within our empire.”

 

“Yes… yes, I see your point, Lord Vader.” Sidious said in agreement before he simply replied, “If Tau Palpatine is captured, then dispose of the boy in any manner that you see fit. However, if he escapes the invasion of Lah’mu, then train him to hunt him down, as I will not allow anyone to stand in our way.”

 

“As you wish, my master.” Vader obediently said to Sidious, hiding a ping of regret in his heart that he would have to dispose of the boy that could, one day, become his best agent and Jedi hunter. He then asked his master, “Shall I give the order for our fleet to jump into hyperspace?”

 

“Do so at once, Lord Vader.” Sidious said, causing Vader to bow towards his master in compliance with his will, and went to order the Imperial armada to surround the trade lanes surrounding the Lah’mu System in preparation for their ambush of the summit in three short days.

 

_Ten Minutes Later_

_Thirteen Minutes Until the Shadow Alliance Summit Of Lah’mu_

_On Lah’mu_

_Within the_ Gil-Gilad

 

“And the preparations are complete, my lady?” Lord Elrond asked Lady Galadriel on the plans for eradicating the Sith shrine on Coruscant from existence.

 

“ _Yes, my friend._ ” Galadriel said, with a ghost of a smile on her face as she continued, purposefully saying, “Mithrandir _,_ Aiwendil _, and I are ready to direct the flow of Light-side energy from us and the Jedi against the Sith shrine, and purge its power from the planet for good._ ”

 

“ _Good. Then the ritual can begin in two days, once Ulra and the others reach the Temple’s catacombs, and signal us._ ” Tau gladly said from his ship. He then gratefully said to the Noldor queen and Elven lord, “ _I owe you-_ all _of you- a debt that I can never repay for agreeing to help undo my ancestor’s machinations._ ”

 

“Do not worry about paying off a debt, Tau Palpatine. Helping you all is the least that we can do after you and the others helped us when Sauron manipulated the Yuuzhan Vong into serving him.” Elrond courteously replied, earning a smile of gratitude from the Jedi Knight.

 

“ _Well, once we deal with the Empire, we can focus more of our energies in destroying Sauron and his sick plans for the universe, and I’ll personally help you all in the efforts to do so._ ” Tau promised the Elven lords, who smiled in appreciation for the Jedi’s enthusiasm.

 

“ _We will hold you to that promise, Jedi Palpatine._ ” Galadriel sagely said, before she nodded in farewell to the young human. With that, both her and Tau’s transmissions ended, and Elrond prepared his personal vibroblade for the coming war against the Imperial forces before he got engaged in politics and the inevitable arguments that would erupt from… well, just about anything regarding the wars and revelations to come.

 

_Ten Minutes Later_

_One Minute Until_ _the Shadow Alliance Summit Of Lah’mu_

_Seventy-Two Hours Before the Battle of Lah’mu Begins_

_Onboard the Second Chance_

“You ready, Tau? Sixty seconds until we’re live.” Ahsoka said to her boyfriend, who fidgeted his hands while he sat down in preparation for Arnine linking him to every ship and local Holonet receiver within the Lah’mu System. 

 

“I think that I’m gonna go crazy like a mynock near a ship’s reactor if you don’t get off my case, Ahsoka.” Tau aggravatingly said before he calmed down, and said, “I’m sorry, you didn’t deserve that. I just hate public speaking. The last time that I did so was on Arda, and I nearly fainted, as I’m not the kind of speaker that Edaan was. He loved rallying everyone together through passionate speeches.” Tau explained to his girlfriend, before Celebion came in.

 

“Thirty seconds, you two.” Celebion warned.

 

“Noted.” Ahsoka and Tau simultaneously said before they chuckled in amusement over the whole matter.

 

“Right. Twenty Seconds.” Celebion said after rolling his eyes in amusement at the couple’s bonding time.

 

“Don’t worry, you’ll do great, luv.” Ahsoka said, making Tau look at Ahsoka as if she had grown a fourth montral, and she smiled brightly as she said, “We can talk about this later. Anyway, it’s showtime.”

 

With that, Arnine finished linking the _Second Chance_ ’s Holonet receiver with every ship in the system’s vicinity, and the images of every leader of the many groups that comprised the summit appeared.

 

Tau, Ahsoka, and Celebion saw the representatives of Arda: Balin and Glóin representing the king of Erebor, Prince Bain of Esgaroth, Ecthelion of the Stewards of Gondor, Thengel of Rohan, Haldir of Lothlórien, and Elrond of Rivendell, while Celebion represented the Dúnedain Rangers from Tau’s ship.

 

They saw the Carthean Prince and Jedi Knight Janus Lynn, along with his Elven girlfriend, Iminyë, stand among the Carthean delegation.

 

 They saw General Ironwood and the other members of the Remnant delegation, including Ozpin and Winter Schnee of Atlas, David Oum of Vacuo, Jane Joy of Vale, and Nysanna Ayana of Mistral.

 

They saw theleaders or high-ranking members of the various rebel cells present, including Saw Gerrera, Berch Teller, Cham Syndulla, Arhul Nemo, Kole Drane, Travia Chan, Thi Xon Yimmon, and Rahm Kota.

 

They saw the many Jedi and Force-senstives that were gathered here, including the Dark Woman, Aquinos and his Iron Knights, Zao, Quinlan Vos, Tholme, K’Kruhk, A’Sharad Hett, Celeste Morne, Arden Lyn, Jax Pavan, Magash Drashi, X2, Kes Amnetesi, Du Epin, Xey Pen, Viridian Mallory, Vega Ryal, and Daniel Valo.

 

They saw the Imperial defectors or former members of the Grand Army of the Republic, including Dalin Denimoor, Teron, Maarisa Zsinj, and several high profile Clone Troopers, namely Kix, Jesse, and Wolffe. Rex and Fordo, to the former’s disappointment, stayed within the Second Chance in order to keep Ventis safe from anyone who wanted to do him harm, be it well-intentioned members of the Shadow Alliance, or vengeful Imperials.

 

They saw their turncoat Imperial spy, Shonn Volta, patiently waiting for someone to begin this summit, while Ahsoka and Tau sensed the anxiety from her, and they knew that it was due to her people’s fate, should the Shadow Alliance fail to act to save them.

 

They saw the Mandalorians, which were their _Mand’alor_ , Fenn Shysa, his right-hand men, Bo-Katan Kryze and Kal Skirata, and the most important members of Clan Skirata, including Mij Gilamar, Walon Vau, and Bardan Jusik, along with the Taungs, including their leader, Cassius Tarquin.

 

They saw Ralon Zalveniad and Cirro Stratus, the two highest-ranking Confederate officers that were still fighting in the name of the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

 

They saw Vem Carr and Nagme Jamaane leading the Yuuzhan Vong delegation, and they looked eager to get the summit underway.

 

Lastly, they saw the three most prominent and important Imperial senators that would help provide legitimacy to the Shadow Alliance: Bail Organa of Alderaan, Garm Bel Iblis of Corellia, and Mon Mothma of Chandrila. There were also several of their fellow senators and conspirators present via hologram from each of their safe houses on their home worlds: Doman Beruss of Illodian, Tynnra Pamlo of Taris, Vasp Vaspar of the Taldot Sector, Giddean Danu of Kuat, Chi Eekway Papanoida of Wroona, Dewell Bronk of Kedorzhan, and Lux Bonteri of Onderon.

 

“All right. You all know why we’re here.” Tau began, with everyone nodding his or her head in agreement, and he continued, saying, “You all know what the stakes are, and what the risks are if we are discovered before this summit is concluded. There are greater threats than the Empire out there that would see us obliterated. We have much to discuss, and very little time to do it, for our enemies are already moving against us.”

 

“ _Well, don’t keep us in suspense, Tau._ ” Saw impatiently said, before he continued to speak, saying, “ _You got us all together, so what’s our plan of attack?_ ”

 

“Don’t worry, Saw. We’ll get to that.” Tau reassuringly said to the Partisan leader. He then turned to face the leaders who did not know of his true lineage. After he took a deep breath in order to calm his stressed out nerves, said, “You all know me as ‘Tau Nyl’, but that was merely an alias that I devised in order to unite the many freedom fighters together so that we could fight for the freedom of the galaxy. My true name is… Tau Palpatine. And, yes, I am a descendent of the current, and, hopefully, soon-to-be-killed and deposed Emperor Palpatine.”   
  


With that, most of the senators and rebel leaders who did not know of Tau’s true heritage erupted into a frenzy of questions and arguing over the presence of a Palpatine, with the few who remained calm enough to think clearly urged their compatriots to wait and hear what this man had to say.

 

After a minute of hearing constant quarreling with the many disparate groups, Tau bellowed into the intercom, “ _QUIET!!!_ ”

 

At Tau beginning to speak, Cham menacingly turned to face the Jedi clone, and, with his teeth barred out, said, “ _You expect us to take orders from a descendent of the man who leads the enslavement of my people?!? I trusted you! I let my daughter near you, Palpatine!_ ”

 

“And, I appreciate the trust that you gave me, General Syndulla. I promise you that your trust was not abused, and that I am an ally of the Twi’lek people. Besides, did you already forget what Master Zao told you about me twenty days ago?” Tau reassuringly said to the leader of the Free Ryloth Movement.

 

After a moment, the wheels clicked in the Twi’lek’s head, he sighed in defeat, and said, “ _Fine. I’ll listen to what you have to say, but_ only _listen._ ”

 

“Honestly, that’s all that I can hope for from all of you.” Tau said in complete truth.

 

He then continued to speak, saying, “I know that I’m asking a lot of each of you, and that many of you have no reason to trust me, but I pray that you give me one chance to prove that I am not like my great-great-grandfather, and that I seek to rectify his horrendous crimes against the galaxy.”

 

“ _I trust him._ ” Saw declared to everyone from his ship, and everyone, aside from Tau, glanced at the Partisan leader as if he had turned into a dancing Twi’lek girl, for the Saw Gerrera that they knew would never accept the word of a Palpatine.

 

To keep anyone from questioning his sanity, Saw said, “ _Tau has vital information on the Imperials’ long-term plans, and he’s already taken the lead in striking against the Empire on Korriban and Tython, not to mention that he brought us all together for a major strike against his own flesh and blood. I’d say that that earns him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, if what I learned about him is true, he’s a Jedi Knight that came seventy-two from the future in order to help us, so that likely means that he won’t betray us to the Empire._ ”

 

Once again, the room erupted into an uproar over a declaration on or by Tau, and it took another ten minutes for the leaders to calm down.

 

“ _And, what proof do you have that you come from the future, as you claim?_ ” Lux skeptically said.

 

“Well, Senator Bonteri,” Tau began with just a microscopic hint of anger in his voice for how he unintentionally hurt Ahsoka during the campaign to liberate Onderon from Confederate rule. He then continued, calmly saying, “How else would I know all about the superweapons that the Empire is developing, how the Yuuzhan Vong race, aside from our noble allies within and without the Shadow Alliance, is coming to invade our galaxy from their now-dead galaxy, and the various Celestial-related threats that are the greatest threat to galactic peace?”

 

“ _Did you really have to say it like that, Tau?_ ” Nagme exasperatingly said at her friend and captain for saying that her people were going to invade the galaxy in just under forty years. 

 

“No, but it helps to get straight to the point, Nagme.” Tau responded before he motioned for Arnine to come into range of the transmission, plug into the Second Chance’s database, and transmit the information that Tau and the others had gathered on Sauron, Abeloth, the Grimm, Yuuzhan Vong, Killiks, Sith, Nephilim, and Knights of Olpaka.

 

Tau then said, “My loyal friend and astromech droid, R9-G6, is currently transmitting the intelligence that my friends and allies managed to gather on the many dangers that are either already here, or will be here in a matter of decades.”

 

“This better be good, Palpatine, or the people of Taris will have no part in your schemes.” Tynnra threateningly said to Tau.

 

Tau merely smiled at the Tarisian senator’s arrogance, and forebodingly said, “Trust me, Senator Pamlo, by the time that this summit is over, you’ll understand why we need to fight. Now, let’s get started on this summit.”

 

_Five Hours Later_

_Sixty-Seven Hours Before the Battle of Lah’mu Begins_

_Onboard the_ Gil-Gilad

 

“ _THIS IS ABSURD!! The people of Taris will not be involved in wars that will destroy all life as we know it!_ ” Tynnra shouted amidst the uproar of the conclusion of Tau and Viridian’s story of Sauron’s forces being set loose among the known galaxy, and everyone was being forced to shout their opinions in order to get a single word in.

 

“And what would you do if you do not join us, Senator Pamla?” Elrond angrily asked as he slamed his hand on his desk, disgusted at the cowardice of this woman, and remembered why he disliked politics among disparate species so fiercely due to them rarely agreeing on anything. “If we do not unite now, then the forces of darkness will rule over the galaxy forever, and every single planet in the galaxy will be slaves to them!”

 

“ _How can you even believe these claims, and, for that matter, why should_ we _believe them? The Empire has nothing to gain from destroying entire worlds. And, if your claims are ture, and they are going to do so, what chance do we have of stopping them?”_ The female human senator countered.

 

“And if we do nothing? You think that the Empire would just let you go on your merry way, lassie?” Glóin spat out, earning a scathing look from Tynnra before he continued, saying, “The Empire already intruded upon our world, and took a good chunk of our _mithril_ for their own experiments. They’ll kill us all just for attending this summit, even if you leave now. They’ll eventually find out that you took part in it.”

 

“ _ENOUGH!!!_ ” Bail Organa shouted amongst the quarreling of the Shadow Alliance’s leaders, and said, “ _We can stand here endlessly, and bicker amongst ourselves until the Empire comes for us. Or, we can unite, destroy all that Sidious and our enemies seek to create, and build a better galaxy for our children, and their children. I choose to unite and fight. What say you?_ ”

 

“We will fight.” Glóin said, with the rest of the delegation from Arda voicing their agreement of the Dwarf’s declaration.

 

“ _So will the Partisans._ ” Saw Gerrera followed, before saying, “ _The Shadow Alliance may be the only line of defense against the evils that are coming, and I’m not gonna just stand around and do nothing before the fun begins._ ”

 

“ _And the Free Ryloth Movement stands with you as well. The slave trade on our world has gone on for too long, and we will not allow anyone to take advantage of us again._ ” Cham Syndulla ardently said.

 

One by one, the people that were a part of the summit voiced their support for the Shadow Alliance, and only Tynnra Pamlo was the last person that did not declare her support for the Shadow Alliance.

 

“ _Well, Senator Pamlo, what’s it going to be? Will you stand with us, or alone against the coming attacks?_ ” Tau asked the Tarisian senator, who bit back a string of expletives for being backed into a corner by this upstart of a Jedi.

 

After swallowing her pride, she asked, “ _I assume that you have a plan for each of these enemies, Jedi Palpatine?_ ”

 

“We _have a plan for every enemy that is coming for us, Senator. And, call me Tau, as being called ‘Jedi Palpatine’ was my brother’s thing._ ” Tau clarified, referring to his fallen brother.

 

“I suggest that we take an hour-long recess, as we’ll be going long into the night with the discussion on how to deal with our enemies.” Ahsoka proposed, earning nods of appreciation from everyone present, and they quickly disconnected from the holonet in order to stretch, use the refresher, or get a bite to eat.

 

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_Sixty-Six Hours and Thirty Minutes Before the Battle of Lah’mu Begins_

_In the Mygeeto System_

_Onboard the_ Imperial _-class Star Destroyer_ Retribution

 

Grand Moff Trachta could hardly believe what he was hearing from Shonn Volta: The many disparate groups of the Shadow Alliance, including several Senators, whose names she kept secret for security reasons, were actively working together to prepare for the battle to come.

 

It was actually invigorating and inspiring to see Tau and the other Jedi beginning to unite the galaxy against a great evil, as it had not been done in many millennia since the fall of Valkorion’s Eternal Empire.

 

 _They might just survive the battle to come._ Trachta thought as he prepared to receive a series of reports from his ship’s crew on the battle readiness of the moderate fleet that he commanded.

 

 _A pity that so many good people on both sides will have to die before Sidious falls, and the true war can begin._ Trachta regretfully thought as he ended his holocall with his pupil, and prepared to continue his act as a loyal servant of Darth Sidious. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends a plot-filled chapter of my story. Sorry for it taking so long, I had school to take care of, and that interfered with my writing. Plus, if I’m being completely honest, I was playing Mass Effect 2, and I just finished the game, so now I can get started on Mass Effect 3. One more explanation, I didn’t want to get too wrapped up in explaining, yet again, all of the threats that are out there, so I just sped things alone. Oh, and I got inspiration on Senator Pamla from Rogue One, as she struck me as pessimistic and hypocritical, as she gave up the fight for the Rebel Alliance without even trying to help when she learned about the Death Star’s existence. So, anyway, how are you doing on the depressing day of April 25, 2018, as this is the fourth anniversary of the death of the Expanded Universe? Other than that, I’m doing well, as I’ve been doing well in school, and it’s almost time for graduation from community college. Oh, and, I heard that George H. W. Bush is moved out of intensive care, so that’s good news. Well, I guess that that’s it for this update. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	45. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone. How are you all doing on the rainy evening of April 26, 2018? I’m doing well, as I’ve been playing Mass Effect 3, and have already taken care of everything up to Priority: Sur’Kesh. It’s really nostalgic playing all my old games again, and I’ll be sure to add a lot of Gamerscore to my Xbox Live account. Sorry if this chapter takes a bit longer than others to update, but I’ve got to make sure that I do it right for the summit. Anyway, I am so sorry for the lack of updates until now, but I’ve had to make sure that I had Ralon and Cirro done just right, and I’m guessing that the original writer’s schedule is pretty hectic right now, so go easy on the both of us. So, tonight Avengers: Infinity War is coming out, and I know that it’ll be a big hit, probably bigger than Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Too bad that I won’t see it, due to work, and my lack of interest in seeing it due to my personal feelings regarding Disney, and some of the controversial decisions that they’re making these days. Well, I’d better get to writing, as I’ve got only a couple of hours left in the day before I have to go to bed, and I’ve got to volunteer tomorrow at my local help center.

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_Six Hours Into the Shadow Alliance Summit of Lah’mu_

_Sixty-Six Hours Before the Battle of Lah’mu Begins_

_Back on Lah’mu_

_Onbaord the_ Second Chance

 

“Well, now that we’ve all taken an hour to let calmer heads prevail, let’s get back on track for the issues at hand.” Tau optimistically said to all of the leaders, and continued by saying, “Thanks to our travels across the galaxy, and my knowledge of the future, my friends and I have come up with strategies and plans to deal with the majority of our enemies.” 

 

“ _And those strategies are, what exactly, Tau?_ ” Chi inquired.

 

“Well, for starters, Senator Papanoida, we’re going to build up an army and navy that is powerful and flexible enough to defeat all threats, both known and unknown, with ships, weapons, and tech that are decades, maybe centuries, ahead of what we’ve got right now.” Tau gleefully said.

 

“ _But, how will that make us any different than the Empire, as that’s exactly what your ancestor is doing right now?_ ” Tynnra condescendingly asked.

 

“Because, Senator Pamlo, we’re not going to use fear and intimidation to achieve our goals. We’re going to use the truth to get the galaxy on our side, and use the forces under our command to defend the galaxy instead of one man’s twisted schemes. Besides, we’re not gonna conscript anyone into joining the Shadow Alliance unless the situation deteriorates too far.” Ahsoka tensely said, not liking how the Tarisian senator was talking to her boyfriend.

 

“ _Getting back to the matter at hand, how do you propose to stop our people from invading the galaxy, as Shimrra and Onimi won’t be deterred from their so-called blessed invasion of your peoples?_ ” Nagme spoke in representing the Yuuzhan Vong that had defected to the Shadow Alliance’s ranks.

 

 “ _We’re going to use the Yuuzhan Vong’s own strengths against them by forcing them to fight on our terms through a duel, Nagme._ ” Viridian simply said, making Nagme and Vem raise their eyebrows in disbelief at the plan that their friend proposed.

 

“ _You’re serious, aren’t you? You would risk the fate of the galaxy on a simple duel?!?_ ” Tynnra exclaimed, before she muttered under her breath, “ _You Jedi are just plain insane._ ”

 

“ _Senator Pamlo, if you’re not going to contribute anything meaningful to this summit, then we must ask that you refrain from speaking._ ” Mon sternly said in warning to her friend.

 

The underlined threat of being forced out of the summit immediately shut the tanned-skinned woman up, and she grudgingly nodded her head in understanding to her younger compatriot.

 

“ _I assume that you have more to your plan besides a simple duel, Jedi Mallory?_ ” Berch said, attempting to get the meeting back on track.

 

“ _That we do, Agent Teller._ ” Daniel replied, before he continued, saying, “ _Using the data and historical records that Tau brought from his timeline, we know exactly where and when the Yuuzhan Vong’s main fleet will arrive. With that information, we can build, in essence, a gatehouse between our galaxy and dark space, and force the Yuuzhan Vong to agree to our demand for a duel between their Supreme Overlord and a champion of ours. If they refuse to the duel, then they’ll have to slug it out with out navies, leaving them weakened for the rest of our armies and navies, not to mention the spies that we have within the main Yuuzhan Vong’s ranks._ ” 

 

“ _And, what will this duel accomplish, exactly?_ ” Giddean asked, wondering just how the Jedi planned to deal with the rest of the Yuuzhan Vong once their leader was dead.

 

“ _It’ll show the Yuuzhan Vong that their leader, Shimrra Jamaane, nothing more than a puppet of the only Force-Sensitive Vong out there, the former master shaper-turned Shamed One, Onimi. This’ll demoralize their people, and we can force most of them, as I expect some of their soldiers and leaders to insist on continuing their planned invasion, to agree to coexist with us._ ” Vega explained, making several of the leaders nod their heads in understanding.

 

“ _It’s a massive gamble, and will get a lot of our people killed if this duel of yours fails._ ” Saw said, before he continued, saying, “ _But, if it’ll save trillions of lives, then, I’m all for it._ ”

 

“ _If it gets us what we need, then Ryloth will support this plan._ ” Cham said to everyone.

 

“ _So will Christophsis._ ” Kole said, with the other rebel leaders voicing their consent of the plan, with Tynnra being the last to agree to the strategy.

 

“ _Good._ ” Daniel resolutely said before he typed away on his datapad, pulled up images of a dark gray ooze, and said, “ _Now that we’ve settled that, we have another threat that Tau and Viridian forgot to mention during their five-hour explanation, and this one deserves your full attention._ ”

 

" _What exactly is it?_ " Rahm bluntly asked, not sure what he was looking at here.  
  
" _It’s a sadistic ooze that will make even the most evil of Sith Lords blush._ " Daniel bluntly said.

 

He then continued, saying, “ _Its name is Mnggal-Mnggal, and it’s as old, smart, and dangerous as the Celestials themselves. My crew and I have run into it a couple of times during the first couple of years of the Empire, and we need to keep a vigilant watch on it in order to contain it until we can find away to destroy it._ ”

                                                                                                                                      

“ _And, what threat could this Mnggal-Mnggal have compared to the Yuuzhan Vong, Sith, and evil Celestials?_ ” Arhul said, his voice heavily skeptical over the Jedi Knight’s claims.

 

“ _It wants to possess a person’s body in order to escape its prison in the Unknown Regions, and it has the power to destroy entire planets, like it did with Mugg Fallow._ ” Vega said, getting right to the point, shutting the Commenorian right up with how serious Vega took this matter.

 

“ _Well, that changes things._ ” Arhul simply replied, before he asked the obvious question, “How do we stop it?”

 

“ _At the moment, we don’t know._ ” Daniel responded, before he continued, saying, “ _At best, what we can do right now is contain it with the help of our allies in the Unknown Regions until we can figure out a way to permanently destroy it. Trust me on this, because, when I fought it, I could only temporarily destroy its form._ ”

 

“ _Who are your allies, besides our current friends, as I doubt that you’d rely on them alone, with Sauron and the Yuuzhan Vong, Killiks, and Knights of Olpaka?_ ” Saw curiously asked.

 

“Sympathetic elements within the Chiss Ascendancy, a militiant government that ruled over a good swath of the Unknown Regions, who agree with our proactive stance against any threat.” Tau simply explained, not willing to go any further into explaining the currently enigmatic species. He then continued, saying, “They’ll help us contain Mnggal-Mnggal, as well as the Killiks, as we don’t want specicide on our hands.”

 

“ _Well, that clears nothing up._ ” Travia numbly said, before he shook his head, cleared his mind, and said, “ _Look, we’ve only got under three days before the Empire attacks, and I’d prefer to be ready before they come here.”_

At that mention, an uproar broke loose, and Tau had to resist the urge to bang his head repeatedly on the dejarik table at the Atrivis Resistance Group leader’s lack of subtlety.

 

“ _The Empire knows about this summit, and you still went through with it?!?_ ” Doman incredulously shouted, before he turned to his longtime friend, and angrily demanded of Bail, “ _Did you know about this?_ ”

 

“ _Actually, Doman, the three of us knew of Tau’s plans for some time._ ” Garm said, not willing to allow his longtime friend and comrade to shoulder the entire blame of the coming fight. The Corellian senator continued, saying, “ _Tau came to us with a plan to show the galaxy that the Empire can be beaten, and we have multiple operations going on in order to weaken the Empire from within and without._ ”

 

Doman looked as if he was about to have a stroke on the spot. Fortunately for everyone present, before he could say or do anything, Kal condescendingly said to the Illodian senator, “ _Come on, Beruss. Did you honestly thought that all of the ships, troops, and Jedi were here just for show? Tau and his friends brought us all together in order to show that we need to take a stand if we’re going to stop Sidious, and prepare the galaxy for what’s coming. Besides, you’re all here through holograms, so your role in this will remain a secret for a while longer._ ” 

 

“ _Well, that’s reassuring._ ” Doan sarcastically replied.

 

“ _Don’t work yourself up over nothing, Senators. The Jedi, especially the young ones are the reason that we’re all here, and the people of Mandalore trust them. That alone should give you some reassurance that this meeting is legitimate. Besides, you senators will just have to risk your careers helping us, while the rest of us will be risking life and limb in order to strike a decisive blow against the Empire._ ” Bo-Katan said, backing up her fellow Mandalorian and leader in words.

 

“ _And, just how do you plan to spread the word of this battle to the galaxy, when the Emprie controls the bulk of the holonet relays, and the flow of information out there?_ ” Vasp incredulously asked, wondering just what tricks these people had up their sleeves.

 

“ _With the old CIS Shadowfeed network, since Berch Teller and his friends here figured out how to bring the network online in order to inspire revolutions across the galaxy._ ” Fenn Shysa replied, astounding the senator of the Taldot Sector with that game-changing piece of information.

 

“ _By the Force, that is brilliant. Crazy and insane, but brilliant._ ” Vasp responded in awe, which earned a chuckle from the _Mand’alor_ , who agreed with the Senator’s sentiment.

 

“ _Getting back to the point, I hope that you have a plan for dealing with the Empire, because I honestly don’t know if we have the firepower to drive them back with the forces that we have, as impressive as they are right now._ ” Cham said, wanting to get to a topic that his people would be positively giddy over: taking the fight to the Imperials and their minions that desecrated Ryloth with their very presence.

 

“We have many plans in motion for the battle to come. While our navies engage the Imperial fleet, the ground forces will deal with the invasion force that will come. We need to mobilize our forces for the inevitable siege that will come in a matter of days.” Tau responded, displaying full confidence in the Shadow Alliance’s forces.

 

“ _I wish that I could share you faith in this disparate army and navy of yours, Tau._ ” Cham said.

 

“ _Don’t count us out just yet, General Syndulla. You haven’t seen Tau get to know the soldiers and leaders of this alliance of his. Let me tell you, despite his reluctance and doubts, he’s quite a leader._ ” Saw said in praise to the young Palpatine.

 

“Saw, stop. Seriously, just stop.” Tau numbly said, not wishing to let any praise go to his head before the Sith shrine was destroyed, as he would need all of his focus and clarity for the ritual that Galadriel, Gandalf, Radagast, and the Jedi would use to cleanse the Sith shrine of its Dark Side nexus.

 

“ _Well, then we’d better hear the rest of the plans for these enemies, because, from your own words, the Empire will be here in less than three days, and we need to prepare for their attack, as I won’t let my people be slaughtered by them._ ” Arhul grimly said.

 

“ _Agreed._ ” Arden said, tired of hearing these politicians and rebel leaders bicker over what cannot be changed, and eager to take out some Imperial lackeys.

 

“ _So, how do you plan do deal with Sauron and Abeloth, as we don’t have any idea on how to destroy a Celestial and one of their abominations?_ ” Lux asked.

 

“Actually, we have a way to destroy Abeloth in the event that she escapes her prison within the Maw Cluster.” Ahsoka said to her former crush, before she continued, saying, “After we destroyed the _Executrix_ above Korriban, we headed to the Tython System in order to pick up a weapon that is capable of destroying Celestials, and we acquired it, took out two High Inquisitiors, and gained a new recruit in the form of Arden Lyn here. It’s somewhere safe, wehre we can retrieve it if she is ever released.”

 

“ _That’s good to know, Ahsoka._ ” Lux said in relief to his old friend, while Ahsoka shared his relief.

 

“It was also where we saw the depths of the Knights of Olpaka’s leader, Vlad Karamazov III, would go to in order to achieve his demented goals.” Tau said, before he continued, saying, “Vlad is a complete lunatic, and ripped the head of High Inquisitor Antinnis Tremayne off while he was still alive.”

 

At that mention of Antinnis’s decapitation, most of the people present showed faces of revulsion or horror at the brutal death that the Inquisitor suffered.

 

“ _What do you guys know about him specifically? Any advantage that you can give us on him and his people could prove to be the difference between victory or defeat agaisnt these Force-hating maniacs._ ” Bardan asked, wanting to get a feel of this living demon’s capabilities.

 

“ _On his homeworld of Olpaka, within his castle, he had_ _set up a forest of dead Force Users on his world in order to celebrate every one of his victims’ deaths._ ” Viridian disgustingly said before he continued, saying, “ _He especially hates me after I accidentally paralyzed his son during a rescue operation, and vowed to kill everyone and everything that I know and love before he impaled me, just like his other victims._ ”

 

“ _Well, I can’t say that I blame him for hating you, Viridian. Not that I agree with what he is doing or plans to do, but I just understand his position._ ” Saw commented, remembering how he was angry at Ahsoka for several years for failing to save his sister before it was replaced by hatred of himself for putting them in that position.

 

After taking a deep breath, he said, “ _But, what he doesn’t know is that his son is safe on the Carthea, and, after being healed of his injuries, is working with us to stop their genocidal crusade._ ” 

 

“ _Well, I’ll be!_ _How in the galaxy did you manage to do that?_ ” Giddean incredulously asked the Jedi Knight.

 

“ _Vlad’s son was always more of a sympathetic moderate among the Knights, and belived in ‘curing’ Force-Senstives through medicine, which was, admittedly, more noble than his father. He was even so disturbed by his father’s experiments, that he left his father’s castle after a while._ ” Kes began, remembering the talks that they would have before they were forced to flee the Carthea when the Imperials invaded just over two years previously.

 

She then continued, saying, “ _After he fell in love with a Carthean woman, and she became pregnant, he defected to our side after realizing that his wife was Force-Senstive, and realizing the horrors that he was unwittingly perpetuating through his service to the Knights. He became a double agent, and, after our forces captured him, he continued to help us, and even forgave Viridian for his injuries. Of course, his father doesn’t know of his survival, and we’d like to keep it that way for as long as we can._ ”

 

“ _Agreed. We don’t want Vlad to go on a killing spree against us, as my forces are stretched thin enough as it is, especially once the truth of my people’s betrayal comes to light._ ” Janus grimly said, catching everyone’s attention.

 

“ _What are you talking about, Janus?_ ” Bo-Katan said, not liking how the young Carthean prince appeared to be on the verge of having, a mental breakdown. .

 

“ _I’m talking about the last two kings of the united Cartheam kingdom sacrificing the ancestors of the Olpakins to the Nehpilim in order to avoid another war with them, that’s what!_ ” Janus practically screamed out before he broke down in tears on the ground, with Iminyë kneeling down in order to comfort and help calm him.

 

“ _What is he talking about, Viridian?_ ” Tholme said to the younger Jedi Knight, as he did not like being kept in the dark about vital matters, especially since he used to own an extensive spy network, and prided himself on his vast intellect.

 

“ _He meant that the last two kings of his people, before the civil war that tore the Carthean kingdom apart through civil war, they, in an effort to avoid a costly war with the Nephilim, offered non-Force-Sensitive citizens of their empire in order to appease them. And this was the same empire that once drove back the ancient Rakata from their sector of space in the Unknown Regions, and brought a long peace to their sector before it collapsed._ ” Viridian sadly explained, making everyone who already did not know of this atrocity gasp with horror.

 

“ _And you expect us to ally with the descendants of the people who betrayed their own for appeasement?!?_ ” Tynnra incredulously demanded, making Janus look at her with briefly golden eyes in outrage, scaring Iminyë and all of his friends.

 

The Elven princess then scathingly said to the Tarisian senator, “ _You are completely out of line, Senator! Yes, the Carthean kings of old did commit terrible crimes, and, perhaps the empire did deserve to fall. But, that was tens of millennia ago, and the Cartheans have long payed their debt to the Olpakins. We only just discovered this information, and we decided that it would be best if you found out about it sooner, rather than later, in order to earn your trust._ ”

 

“ _Well, it earned that, all right, as well as my respect, Janus Lynn.”_ Fenn said to the Jedi prince, who looked up with his normal eyes, and the _Mand’alor_ then continued, saying, _“It takes true courage to own up to your predecessors’ mistakes, and seek to atone for them, which is something that the Mandalorian people can relate to in more ways than one._ ” He then remembered the genocidal campaigns of Mandalorian Crusades and Mandalorian Wars from the Old Republic before and after the Great Sith War.

 

“ _If you’re going to make amends to the Olpakins for your ancestor’s crimes, then you can count on Alderaan’s support._ ” Bail declared. 

 

“ _Th-thank you,_ Mand’alor _, Senator Organa. My people will take any aid that they can get once the rest of my people find out the truth._ ” Janus gratefully said to the ruler of the Mandalorians and Imperial senator of Alderaan.

 

“ _You’ll get support from the people of Corellia as well._ ” Garm warmly said, surprising everyone who knew the Corellian senator well enough to know that he did not extend offers of friendship and aid to people that he had just met.

 

“ _The people from the Remnant kingdom of Atlas can help you in your endeavors, and I’m sure that the other continents will help with reparations._ ” Ozpin supportively said, allowing a swath of agreements of aid to come in from every leader that was present, aside from Tynnra.

 

“ _Well, Senator Pamlo. You’re the last leader not to agree to aiding the Cartheans through their struggles. What’s it going to be? And, don’t even try to bring up the whole ‘the Cartheans don’t deserve our help after all the atrocities that they’ve committed so many millennia ago’, because the richeset humans of Taris were fiercely pro-human during the century leading up to the Jedi Civil War, and greatly abused their privileges by hoarding supplies and food through the century. They treated non-humans and lower-class citizens as second-class citizens, and pushed anyone who fought their cruelty into the undercity, where it was then infested with Rakghouls._ ” Tau fiercely questioned the Tarisian senator.

 

Tynnra looked around, and saw that everyone was looking at her with looks of anger at the senator’s lack of support for the Shadow Alliance, or worry for their friend’s choice that they had to make. She sighed her head in defeat, and said, “ _Fine. You’ll get my support for reparations for the Olpakins. But I still stand by my position on the matter._ ”

 

“Excellent. Now that we have that settled, we need to move on to the next matter of business: the Nephilim.” Tau said, glad that everyone was on board with the plans that he and his friends were coming up with.

 

Two Hours Later

_Eight Hours Into the Shadow Alliance Summit of Lah’mu_

_Sixty-Three Hours and Forty Minutes Before the Battle of Lah’mu Begins_

_On Coruscant/Imperial Center_

_Within The Works_

_0.3 Kilometers From the Underground Entrance to the Jedi Temple_

 

“I never thought that I would have to fight off swarms of Cthons, feral droids, and the occasional squad of Imperial Stormtroopers. Not to mention the last of the Goblins that escaped the destruction of their nest on Level One.” Uriah insightfully said to his compatriots, who nodded in agreement, or spoke in droidspeak, in Arseven’s case.

 

“You’ll get used to it, given enough time.” Jasmine said to her fellow Cathar before she deactivated her lightsaber, and began to set up camp for the next several hours, as they would have little rest once they entered the Jedi Temple.

 

“So, how will it feel to infiltrate the Jedi Temple for the second time, luv?” Jak said to his wife, who looked forlorn at something that he could only guess to be her sensing who now occupied her former home.

 

“Just as bad as the last time, dear.” Ulra grimly said. She hated the fact that the Sith controlled the Jedi Temple into a bastion of Sith operations, and that a Sith shrine was buried underneath the structure for nearly five millennia.

 

“I’m sorry, that was rude of me, Ulra.” Jak apologetically said, before he said in complete seriousness, “What can you sense inside the Temple?”

 

“There’s a lot of Imperials inside the Temple, along with at least three Inquisitors deep beneath the Temple’s catacombs. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say that they know that we’re coming to destroy the Sith shrine.” Ulra responded in equal urgency, before she said, “We should take a few hours to rest, and then make our move, as we won’t get a second chance at this opportunity.”

 

“Agreed.” Uriah and Jasmine said in concurrence before they finished creating their makeshift camp. They then proceded to lie down in order to get at least six hours of sleep before they infiltrated the Jedi Temple.

 

Jak then turned back to her wife, and gave her a passionate kiss that she returned with equal love before he said, “Good night, _cyar’ika_.”

 

“Good night, beloved.” Ulra exhaustively said before she lay down on their sheets, and they all let their exhaustion claim them as they fell into a deep sleep, leaving Arnine to go into low-power mode so that he could conserve his energy for the day ahead.

 

_Meanwhile, Within the Sith Shrine_

 

“They’re just outside the Temple’s entrance within the Works.” Bruticus, a six-foot gray-skinned Umbaran Inquisitor, said to his fellow Dark-Side practitioners, the Mirialan woman Raza, and the male Terellian Jango Jumper known only as Satar.

 

“Good. It won’t be long before we prove our worth to our master. I’m willing to bet that we’ll get each a promotion once we get that astromech droid and kill the rest of the Shadow Alliance’s team.” Satar ambitiously said to Raza, who merely scoffed at her comrade’s unquenchable lust for power.

 

“Don’t get carried away. We don’t know just how good these Jedi are yet.” Raza beratingly said to her subordinates, and pulled out a comlink.

 

11-4D, who was instructed by Sidious to oversee everyone’s efforts in preserving the Sith shirne, gave Raza approval to use it with a nod of his head. She then activated it, and said, “Pestage, Amedda. The Jedi will be within the Temple by tomorrow. Get the defenses ready, and stop them before they reach us.”

 

“ _Understood. We’re ready on our end with two contingents of Stormtroopers, and several squads of Imperial sentinel guards._ ” Sate Pestage confidently said, before he said, “ _We’ll take care of the Jedi and their allies, but stay on high alert, just in case. Pestage, out._ ”

 

With that said, the Grand Vizier left the three Inquisitors and droid alone to await the Jedi in the event that they got through Sate and Mas’s defenses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends another chapter of my summit. Sorry that it took a while to write, I had homework and my job to worry about, especially since my finals are almost here, and since Avengers: Infinity War came out three days ago in theaters. Let me tell you, it was quite packed at my movie theater when I worked last Saturday and Sunday. Anyway, how are you doing with your video games, as I’ve gotten past “Priority: Geth Dreadnought” on Mass Effect 3, and I should be able to get through Rannoch tonight. Well, I gues that that’s it for this update on April 30, 2018. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	46. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, all of my fellow Star Wars lovers. How are you doing on the evening of May 2, 2018? I’m doing well, as I bought a few Warhammer 40,000 books in order to stave off my love of Star Wars books since the EU was purged by Lucasfilm and Disney. I hope that I like them, as they cost me a bit of money. So, onto other news: As of last night, I passed my American Literature community college class with a solid “A”, so that knocks off one class off my list for my final semester of community college. Sorry for not writing yesterday, but I had to take care of my final exam for the American Literature class. Well, I’ll be sure to make up for it with plenty of writing over the next few days. So, DaWitcher updated his story, and I can’t wait to read the chapter. And, as of last night, I completed Mass Effect 3, and am now back to Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Wait. What am I doing? I should be writing the next chapter. Better get started.
> 
> (May 3, 2018 Addendum.) Good afternoon, everyone. How are you doing on this warm day? I’m ecstatic, as I saw videos of the latest SWTOR: The Nathema Conspiracy on YouTube, and I loved them. I especially can’t wait for Fulcrum-1115 to adapt this storyline in this story, as I love his Jedi Knight/Lana Beniko romance. I hope that, one day soon, the people in charge of Star Wars will see reason, and allow the Expanded Universe to continue in a greater capacity than it’s at right now. Let’s hope that enough people see enough reason for this positive change to take place.

_Six Hours and Thirty-Five Minutes Later_

_Fifteen Hours Into the Shadow Alliance Summit of Lah’mu_

_Fifty-Seven Hours Before the Battle of Lah’mu Begins_

_On Lah’mu_

_Within the_ Second Chance

 

“Well, things seem to be going along well with the other groups.” Tau said to Viridian, Daniel, and Ahsoka, who he was in conversation with.

 

“ _Well, the threat of impending invasion by the Empire, or any great evil, would bring more people together._ ” Daniel said as he maintained his lightsaber.

 

“ _No argument there. Remember how so all our forces joined forces to stop Sauron and the Yuuzhan Vong? This is going to be child’s play, especially when we take Sidious out of the game for the battle._ ”

 

“I still can’t believe that you roped everyone into this scheme of yours.” Ahsoka disbelievingly said to the three Jedi Knights after they had told her of their plan to incapacitate Sidious, leaving only Vader and his Dark Side Acolytes to be the real threat to the Shadow Alliance.

 

“Hey, we helped outmaneuver Sauron and his abominations on Arda, so this’ll be a piece of cake.” Tau confidently said to his girlfriend, who rolled her eyes in amusement over his high hopes of victory.

 

“ _Don’t get cocky, Tau. Sidious is just as intelligent and cunning as Saruon, and has just as big with ambitions as the fallen Maia._ ” Viridian cautiously said to the clone, who calmed down from his confidence high, and nodded his head in understanding of what he was trying to tell him.

 

“Don’t remind me, Viridian. I still have the memory flashes of when Edaan got a glimpse of Sidious’s consciousness from Chaos during his Jedi training.”  Tau glumly said, before he saw Ahsoka looking at him as if his head was missing from its shoulders, and he then realized what he implied.

 

He quickly added, “Don’t worry, Ahsoka. Edaan was able to resist Sidious’s influence, and, during the Siege of Korriban, he forced his spirit back into Chaos.”

 

“Good. The last thing that we need are _three_ Sidious’s running amok in this galaxy.” Ahsoka said, her voice full of relief that Edaan was able to fend off his ancestor’s corruption when Anakin could not.

 

“Don’t we all know it.” Daniel said in agreement, as he yawned in exhaustion after the first day of the summit ending, and they had already managed to negotiate the many leaders to work together throughout the upcoming Imperial attack.

 

“Well, I guess that we’re all pretty tired after the first string of negotiations. What do you say that we all get a few hours of rest before we get ready to prepare for the Imperial’s attack?” Viridian said.

 

“You mean so you and Kes can… what did those Remnant students want to do with you… ‘Get it on’, with her this time?” Tau gleefully said to one of the two wedded Jedi.

 

“ _Tau. Shut. Up._ ” Viridian slowly growled out, the menacing tone in his voice scaring the chronologically younger Jedi up. He then turned to his longtime friend, and asked Daniel in concern, “ _You okay?_ ”

 

“Yeah. I’ll be fine. I’ll feel better once I get my family back, but, I’m holding on.” Daniel neutrally said, not betraying any pain that he felt in his heart over being separated from Amber.

 

Tau, suddenly realizing how insensitive his comment was to Daniel, and nervously said, “Sorry, Daniel. That was insensitive on my part.”

 

“ _Ah, don’t worry about it, Tau. Just help us drive the Sith back, and get our people out of this ambush, and we’ll call it even._ ” Daniel dismissed with a wave of his hand.

 

“Fair enough.” Tau agreed to, not wishing to offend or anger anyone else over his stupid remark. With that said, the two holographic forms left the ship, and left Tau and Ahsoka alone.

 

He then turned to his girlfriend, and apologetically said to her, “I’ll just sleep on the couch, and you can have my cabin for tonight. I deserve it after my idiotic reminder that Amber’s still trapped in stasis.”

 

“Admitting your mistake is a good first step.” Ahsoka consolingly said to her boyfriend, before she said, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to kick you out of your own cabin over something like that. But, I won’t give you a goodnight kiss tonight.”

 

At hearing that, Tau chuckled, and admitted, “Yeah, that’s fair.” The couple then walked to the captain’s cabin in order to get several hours of fitful sleep before the next part of the summit.

 

_One Hour Later_

_Sixteen Hours Into the Shadow Alliance Summit of Lah’mu_

_Fifty-Six Hours Before the Battle of Lah’mu Begins_

_Onboard the_ Aay'han

 

Kix was, to put it bluntly, exhausted after overseeing the administration of the counteragent for the Clone Troopers’ control chips. He could hardly believe that so many of his brothers were free from the Sith’s control. He only wished that all of his brothers were free, as well as Anakin, from Sidious’s lies. Hopefully, that would soon change once the Shadow Alliance beat the Empire at their own game.

 

He was so weary from working alongside Mij and Ovolot for so long, that, he failed to hear Rex, Fordo, Jesse, and Ventis come up from behind him until Rex asked him, “You’re still up, brother? You should be getting some much-needed rest by now. We’ve only got fifty-six hours until the Empire comes for us.”

 

“Sorry, Captain. I had to make sure that all of our brothers are safe from Sidious’s control, and that takes a lot of effort.” Kix said as he struggled to stay on his feet after working for thirteen straight hours on the distribution of the vaccine for the control chips.

 

“Well, old friend, let’s get you to your bunk here, and leave you for about… say, ten hours.” Jesse humorously said to his former squadmate before he and Rex assisted him in getting to his bunk on the Mon Calamari DeepWater-Class light freighter.

 

Once they made sure that Kix was beginning to fall asleep, the three Clone Troopers and Jedi Apprentice left the ship in order to head to their assigned quarters for the night as well.

 

However, before they could get far, Rex received a transmission on his personal holonet comlink. He activated it, and it revealed the projection of Shonn with a deathly serious look in her eyes, which worried the former Five-Oh-First Clone Captain.

 

“Admiral. What’s wrong?” Rex concernedly said to his new friend.

 

“ _Bad news, Rex. I’ve got new intelligence on Ventis’s hunters from my contacts, and one of them is an old friend of yours._ ” Shonn began, before she took in a hesitant gulp of air, and said, “ _It’s TK-2224._ ”  

 

The three Clone Troopers could not have been more horrified from that revelation, as each of them fought with TK-2224 when he was CC-2224, who called himself Cody, the Clone Marshal Commander of the 212th Attack Battalion of the GAR, and former Second-In-Command of Obi-Wan Kenobi before Order Sixty-Six. They each held a great deal of respect for the Clone Trooper, and would have thought that, despite not believing that Fives was telling the truth about the control chips, would have defected from the Empire after Sidious seized power for himself.

 

“ _W-what?_ ” Rex whispered, not willing to believe what Shonn was telling him.

 

“ _There’s more, I’m afraid._ ” Shonn reluctantly said, before she said, “ _We know who the other hunter is. It’s a bounty hunter that was a former CIS commander, an Iridonian- not a Zabrak, but the_ actual _Iridonians from their insane war cult- known as Kravous. He’s a bloodthirsty maniac who was rumored to have massacred his whole clan in order to gain a place within the CIS. And, to make matters worse, he’s got a huge vibro-axe to grind with Ventis, considering Gallies raped a bunch of women, and he hates rape due to his twisted code of honor, and how he has a sister of his own that he would kill anyone in order to protect.._ ” Ventis then looked as if he had seen a ghost from his past, considering all that the Sith brainwashed him into doing, and all the innocent women that he had raped before being redeemed by Daniel.

 

Shonn then continued, saying,“ _Ventress can fill you in on anything else you need to know about Kravous, given that she worked with him a couple of times during the Clone War._ ” 

 

“Thanks for the update.” Jesse numbly said as he took in the news that Cody was still working for the Empire, and would be hunting down Ventis for crimes that were not his fault.

 

Shonn nodded her head in acknowledgement, and closed the link, leaving the four men alone to consider their next move.

 

Fordo then said, “We need to talk with Ventress, as we need to know just what we need to expect from this Kravous.”

 

“Yeah.” Ventis numbly concurred, before he felt Rex put a hand on his shoulder in support and sympathy.

 

“Don’t worry, Ventis. We won’t let Cody and Kravous get to you. We know that Gallies’s crimes weren’t your fault, and that you’re trying to atone for his sins.” Rex confidently said to Ventis, making him smile in appreciation for the Clone Captain’s support.

 

“It’s more than that, Rex.” Ventis began, before he continued, sorrowfully saying, “Vader hated me because of my-I mean, Gallies’s rape crimes, and how Daniel was accepted into the Jedi Order when he nearly wasn’t. He vowed that, if I stepped out of line, even once, that he would hunt me down and kill me wherever I hid.”

 

“I can’t believe that General Skywalker could have become so heartless.” Rex despondently said, remembering how compassionate and fierce his former General could be.

 

“None of us could have seen it coming.” Jesse sympathetically said to his commanding officer. “All we can do now is fight with everything that we’ve got for a better future, for everyone.”

 

“Ain’t that the truth, Jesse.” Fordo concurred.

 

“Well, if Viridian, Ahsoka, and Tau’s plan works, we’ll be able to get Anakin back on our side, and bring Chaos to Sidious.” Ventis hopefully said, surprising the three Clone Troopers with this sudden declaration.

 

“Wait. You’ve got a plan to save the General, and you didn’t even tell us?” Jesse angrily demanded.

 

“Actually, it’s more of a gamble than a plan.” Ventis admitted, before he continued, saying, “They’re going to take Anakin’s redemption one step at a time, beginning with this battle, as we know that he’ll be at the front of it, especially with so many Jedi present.”

 

“Well, if Jesse, Kix, and I can help in any way, let us know, as we’ve each got a stake in saving our general.” Rex eagerly said, hoping to get his closest friend back.

 

“Good to know. I’ll let Tau and the others know tomorrow. They’re probably resting after the first day of negotiations.” Ventis satisfyingly said to his new friend.

 

“Well, it’s a good thing that I stayed silent during the bulk of the negotiations.” Rex said. “I hate politics, and most politicians, given that a lot of them that I’ve met have been self-serving and corrupt.”

 

“Don’t we know it.” Fordo disdainfully said, remembering how they all but interrogated him on his missions, especially his covert ones, and how they practically dismissed him as an organic droid. With that, the four men made their way to the Remnant camp, where they would ask Asajj would inform them on Kravous.

 

_One Hour Later_

_Seventeen Hours Into the Shadow Alliance Summit of Lah’mu_

_Fifty-Five Hours Before the Battle of Lah’mu Begins_

_Within the Remnant Camp_

 

“You’ve got to be _karking_ me!” Asajj shouted as she saw Qrow drink a shot of Corellian ale, making her look at him with a death glare, which made the human roll his eyes at her attempts to intimidate him for the umpteenth time.

 

The Dathomirian woman then turned her head back to Rex and Ventis, and said, “That maniac of an Iridonian is still alive, and as Vader’s assassin?!”

 

She then shook her head in disappointment in herself, and said, “I shouldn’t be surprised that they’d buddy up, considering that they each butchered their own people for power. What does surprise me, though, is that Kenobi’s old commander is still working with the Empire. I would have thought that he’d leave the Empire soon after its massacres were evident.”

 

“Well, thanks to our contacts, we know that they’re coming. That’s the first step in turning this trap to our advantage.” Ventis said, the gears in his mind working to come up with a plan to bring Cody, and, if he would forgive him for Gallies’s crimes, Kravous.

 

“They’ll probably come during the Empire’s attack in the confusion, probably in the guise of wanting to defect from the Empire, and try to capitalize on our need for more battle-hardened people for our cause.” Fordo deductively said.

 

“Then we need to capture or kill Kravous, while convincing Cody that the Empire is using him and the rest of their loyal clones. Hopefully, Cody’ll listen to us, as I’m don’t want to kill him, or any more of our brothers than necessary in the battle.” Jesse said, using his ARC Trooper training to continue Fordo’s train of thought.

 

_Eight Hours Later_

_Twenty-Five Hours Into the Shadow Alliance Summit of Lah’mu_

_Forty-Seven Hours Before the Battle of Lah’mu Begins_

_Within the Yaga System_

_Onboard the_ Devastator

“The Empire will converge on the Shadow Alliance’s summit in less than two days.” Vader instructed to his two assassins, the Imperial Clone Commander TK-2224 and Kravous.

 

“Once the Empire launches a full-scale attack on the Shadow Alliance’s fleet, give you will be given a brief window of opportunity to infiltrate their ranks, and eliminate your target. Once you have eliminated the traitorous Gallies, you will join up with Admiral Volta and Cad Bane, the latter of whom will be within the Lah’mu System within forty-eight hours. Admiral Volta has infiltrated their ranks, and has informed us of that several Imperial senators have taken an interest in the summit. I want the four of you to learn just who these senators are, so that we can ensure that the Empire’s future is secure against all threats.” Vader said as he continued to debrief the two Imperial agents on their objectives. 

 

“As you wish, Lord Vader.” Both Kravous and TK-2224 obediently replied.

 

TK-2224 then asked, “Lord Vader, which Jedi can we expect at this summit?”

 

“The list of Jedi, along with the bulk of their minions, will be found in your datapads. Unfortunately, your former general, Obi-Wan Kenobi, has not been found among them.” Vader said with what Cody could only assume to be disappointment, though why, he could not figure out.

 

“There are two more things that I must inform you of.” Vader continued, catching the two Imperials’’ attention.

 

“What, more victims to slaughter?” Kravous viciously said, earning an eye roll from the Stormtrooper due to his lack of professionalism, while Vader nodded in confirmation.

 

“Admiral Volta has discovered that former Confederacy commander Asajj Ventress, along with CT-7567, both of whom were declared K.I.A. near the end of the Clone War, have resurfaced, and are aiding the Jedi in building their armies. If you get the chance, eliminate these insurgents.” Vader explained, shocking both Kravous and Cody with this new information.

 

“F-forgive me, Lord Vader, but, are you certain that Captain Rex is with the Jedi? I was under the impression that he was killed during the Siege of Mandalore. And, he was fiercely loyal to the Republic. He would never betray the GAR after all of the sacrifices that he gave to it.” TK-2224 said in disbelief, not willing to acknowledge that his old friend Rex would stay with the Jedi after they tried to usurp the Republic from the Chancellor.

 

“I am certain that he is alive and well, Commander.” Vader simply responded, before he said, “Admiral Volta befriended him, and discovered that he had removed his structural inhibitor chip some time after ARC Trooper 5555 was punished for treason, which contributed to his mental fragility when Order Sixty-Six was issued, and prevented him from following the contingency order out of a misguided loyalty to his friend, Ahsoka Tano. She is also at this summit, and is serving as one of the coordinators of this meeting.” 

 

TK-2224 was filled with a terrible and venomous rage when Vader finished speaking. He had trusted Rex, only to find out that his trust in his former friend was wrongly misplaced, for he had sided with seditionists and traitors that betrayed the galaxy instead of his brothers and the orderly government that he had played a key role in creating. He also remembered the absurd allegations that Rex told him about Fives discovering a so-called conspiracy against the Jedi and Republic, how he suspected that there may have been truth in the would-be murderer’s words, and how the Clone Marshal Commander refused to even entertain anything related to that madman’s wild accusations.

 

“How could I have been so blind?” TK-2224 viciously asked himself, mentally assaulting himself over his foolish faith in his former friend and fellow Clone Trooper, when he should have been suspicious of his unorthodox behavior and tactics, and his loyalties towards the mad Fives.

 

He then raised his head to face the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Military, and said with nothing but pure contempt for his newest targets, “When do we leave and eliminate these traitors, Lord Vader?”

 

“You leave in twenty-four hours.” Vader said, pleased with how ready the Stormtrooper was to deal with those who would cross the Emperor’s own plans for the galaxy.

 

He then continued, saying, “You will leave in Kravous’s personal CloakShape fighter, head to the Prefsbelt System, and wait for my signal before jumping to the Lah’mu System. From there, I will leave it up to your judgment on how to proceed with the mission. Now, you are dismissed.” 

 

Both Imperials bowed in deference to the Sith Lord, and exited the room. Kravous then showed off a toothy smile as the two men headed to their assigned bunk for the duration of their time on the _Devastator_.

 

_Ten Hours Later_

_Thirty-Five Hours Into the Shadow Alliance Summit of Lah’mu_

_Thirty-Seven Hours Before the Battle of Lah’mu Begins_

_On Coruscant/Imperial Center_

_Within the Jedi Temple’s Archives_

 

Uriah was astonished at the vast wealth of knowledge that the Jedi Order had managed to acquire within the Jedi Temple before its fall. Unfortunately, knowing that the information was now at the hands of the Sith and their minions in order to further subjugate the galaxy made his blood boil, and he had to resist using his claws to rend the nearby silver-robed Imperial Sentinel Guards to shreds.

 

It was only due to his fellow Cathar Jedi, the newly promoted Jedi Knight known as Jasmine Yajk, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder in order to help calm the anger that boiled beneath the surface, that Uriah managed to restrain himself.

 

Sticking to the plan, the two Cathar Jedi kept to the shadows in order to avoid being sighted by the Sentinel Guards. Through their superior hunting abilities, and their having surveillance bugs stationed throughout the Jedi Temple, they managed to avoid being detected by any of Sidious’s forces until they met back up with Ulra, Jak, and Arseven at the turbolift that led to the Sith shrine that led underneath the Temple.

 

“Well, that was invigorating.” Jak nonchalantly said as he smiled at his friends for making it to the rendezvous point earlier than expected.

 

“How did you guys manage to get here just after we did?” Ulra said, surprised at her friends’ punctuality after they fought through several squads of Stormtroopers and Royal Guards to get to the turbolift.

 

“Those Imperials know only a miniscule fraction of skills when it comes to survival and sticking to the shadows, and we used that to our advantage in order to avoid being seen by all but a handful of Stormtroopers, which we quickly disposed of.” Uriah dismissively said, unnerving Arseven with how casual he spoke of killing living beings before he recalled how the older Cathar Jedi fought in the Mandalorian Wars.

                                                                                                  

“What about the charges? Did you two manage to keep your share of them?” Jak asked, not wanting anything to be left to chance on this vital mission to deal a crippling blow to the Order of Sith Lords.

 

“Don’t get your _beskar_ undies in a twist, Jak. We got them right here.” Jasmine playfully said to her Mandalorian friend as she referred to the sacks that she and Uriah kept on them, while Jak rolled his eyes at the Cathar woman’s attempts to lighten the mood.

 

“Good.” Jak simply said before he turned to his wife, and said, “Can you sense any Imperials or Inquisitors near our position?”

 

“There’s a platoon of Imperials heading our way. They’ll be here in ten minutes, max. And, I can sense three Inquisitors and a droid waiting for us in the shrine.” Ulra stated in complete urgency, knowing that they had to move now if they were to succeed in their mission.

 

“Then we need to move now. Arseven, once we’re all aboard, use the terminal within the turbolift to lock it down, and alert our friends to get our escape route ready for after we eliminate the Dark Side nexus. Once that’s done, contact Arnine, and tell him to tell Tau that we’ll be ready for Phase Three within two hours.” Jak authoritatively said to the astromech droid, who whirred loyally and set to work on preparing to activate the turbolift’s security system, while the three Jedi and Mandalorian entered the turbolift.

 

In a handful of minutes, Arseven prepped the turbolift for two more uses before it would shut down permanently, and rolled through the door just before they closed, allowing the five Shadow Alliance members to enter the Jedi Temple’s catacombs.

 

Not even one minute later, the Stormtroopers made their way to the lift, and the commanding officer shouted to his two technicians, “Shut down the lift! NOW!!!”

 

After the two technicians attempted to do as their leader ordered of them for five minutes, one of the clones grunted in frustration, and said, “It’s no good, sir. They’ve locked down the system, and it’ll take too long to bypass. We need to find another way to- AGHH!”

 

The technician could not finish his last sentence, because his commander, who repulsively said to his subordinate as he shot him in the back, “The Emperor does not tolerate failures, trooper, and neither will I.”

 

The commander, TK-4477, formerly known as Clone Shock Trooper Commander Thire, then turned to face the last technician, and forebodingly said to him, “Find a way to bypass the lock that the Jedi have placed on the turbolift, or you’ll be next.”

 

After that, he activated the comlink that was in his ear, and said into it, “Grand Vizier, Councilor Amedda, the Jedi have entered the catacombs, and locked down the only turbolift that leads to them. Alert the Inquisitors that they’ll be expecting company soon.” 

 

“ _Acknowledged, Commander. Put the Temple on lockdown, and block every exit in and out of the Temple. Then, take four squads of your best men, and meet us at these coordinates in thirty minutes._ ” Sate calmly said, which surprised the commander with how collected he was taking this potential disastrous turn of events.

 

Thire then received a location for the Jedi Temple’s war room, which made him realize that the Emperor must have created multiple entrances to the temple’s catacombs. Knowing that he and his men would have a last chance to redeem themselves in the Empire’s eyes, he unquestioningly said, “Yes, sir! Right away, sir!”

 

“ _Good. Pestage, out._ ” Sate replied, leaving Thire to issue his superior’s commands to the regiments under his command.

 

_Meanwhile, Within the Temple’s Command Room_

 

“How did the Jedi outmaneuver our forces so effortlessly?!?” Mas all but shouted, outraged at what he perceived to be utter incompetence of the forces under his and Sate’s command.

 

“Because they’ve bugged the temple with Yuuzhan Vong listening devices, Amedda.” Sate calmly replied, impressed with how these Jedi managed to stay one step ahead of their numerically superior enemies.

 

The human then continued, saying, “Captain Rhys discovered one of their bugs within the medical wing two hours ago, and, before he could capture it, it self-destructed, taking Rhys and two men with it.”

 

“And you didn’t think to inform me of this… this, breach in security, Pestage?!?” Mas shouted in outrage and fear, knowing that Sidious would kill the two men when he found out of how the Jedi had been so successful up to this point in time.

 

“I have already informed the Emperor, Amedda, and he has agreed to move all war meetings to the Imperial Palace from this point on. And, it will hardly matter when the Shadow Alliance is extinct, and Tau Palpatine is brought to our master’s side.” Pestage explained to his flustered counterpart.

 

“Then you had better hope that the three Inquisitors and 11-4D can deal with the Jedi before they make it to our master’s best weapon, or it will be our heads on the line.” Mas gravely said, not convinced that they were safe from any retribution from Sidious.

 

_Meanwhile, On Lah’mu_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

“You’re kidding me!” Tau said in amazement to Arnine, as the astromech droid had just finished informing his master of the strike team’s infiltration of the Jedi Temple, and that they would enter the catacombs within the next fifteen minutes.

 

Once Arnine reiterated what he had just said, Tau said to Ahsoka, “Ulra and the others are about to enter the Sith shrine. We need to get everyone ready for the ritual if we’re going to take that abomination out of commission.”

 

He then turned to face Arnine, and said to him, “Inform Lady Galadriel and the others to prepare for the ritual to commence within seventy minutes. Once that’s done, help me send out an alert to all of the Jedi here to prepare for their part in the plan.”

 

Once he finished giving instructions to Arnine, he turned to face the summit leaders, and said as respectfully as he could regarding the circumstances, “My apologies, everyone, but we have to accelerate our defenses for Lah’mu. I expect the Empire to invade the system within the next twenty-four hours, once their Sith shrine on Coruscant is neutralized for good, as Sidious will want retribution for the loss of his prized toy.”

 

“ _Understood, Tau. We’ll explain the situation to everyone else. Just take that monstrosity out of the game._ ”  Garm acknowledged before the holoimages of the Jedi vanished from the summit.

 

Tau then turned to face Ahsoka, and said, “Well, I’d say that it’s time to kick Sidious where it really hurts.”

 

Ahsoka mischievously smiled at that remark, and said in reply, “Then we’d better get ready for the ritual.” She then turned to Arnine, and said to the astromech droid, “Arnine, set up a separate holonet channel with every Jedi and Force-Senstive. We need them to prepare for what’s about to commence.

                                             

Almost instantly, Arnine activated the dejarik table to project images of every Jedi that was at the summit, which  included the Dark Woman, Aquinos and his Iron Knights, Zao, Quinlan, Tholme, K’Kruhk, A’Sharad, Celeste, Arden, Jax, Magash, X2, Kes, Du, Xey, Viridian, Vega, Daniel, T’Ra, and Asajj.

 

“ _Tau. We heard what you said to Ahsoka, and we’re ready to help destroy that atrocity underneath our temple._ ” Kes viciously said, eager to begin the first step in reclaiming the Jedi Order’s main temple.

 

“Good, because, in under two hours, we need to be ready to focus our energies through Master Saa, and transferring them to Lady Galadriel so that she can help cleanse the Dark Side nexus of the Sith shrine.” Tau explained to anyone who might not have known of the plan that he, Daniel, and Viridian managed to come up with.

 

Right after Tau finished speaking, the projections of Lady Galadriel, Gandalf, and Radagast came into focus from Arnine, and the former said, “ _We anticipated moving ahead of schedule, and we are ready for the ritual to begin at your word, Jedi Palpatine._ ”

 

“Excellent.” Tau satisfyingly said as he clapped his hands together in relief that everything was going to their advantage.

 

“Then may Iluvatar protect Ulra and the others, as they’ll need it to escape Coruscant after the shrine is destroyed.” Tau then said, and everyone exited the meeting in order to prepare themselves for the exertions that they would take part in within the next two hours.

 

_Ten Minutes Later_

_On Coruscant/Imperial Center_

_Underneath the Jedi Temple_

_Within the Sith Shrine_

 

“They’re here.” Bruticus eagerly said, looking forward to killing several Jedi after so many months of inaction on his part.

 

“Just remember our orders on the droid, Bruticus. We need it intact.” Raza said in scolding her partner.

 

“Inquisitor Raza is right.” 11-4D said, before continuing, saying, “We must not lose sight of the big picture, for if the Jedi succeed in destroying our master’s repository of knowledge, then the consequences will be… most dire.”

 

“We know, droid, we know. You’ve already been clear on that the last ten times you repeated it.” Satar dismissively said, making the four-armed droid wish that he could dismember the disrespectful Inquisitor.

 

Fortunately for everyone, any conversation was halted when the turbolift opened, and the three Jedi, one Mandalorian, and astromech droid appeared within it. Then, all hell broke loose, as each team armed themselves with their weapons, and the Shadow Alliance team, minus the astromech droid, charged at the Imperials, who met them midway with lightsabers and blasters ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends another exciting chapter of my story. So, what did you guys think? Did you like the inclusion of Cody in my story, as I knew that now was the perfect time to include him into the mix? Oh, and Kravous was an OC from one of Squasher’s friends, so credit for that idea goes to them. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, as after this one, the action will kick back up again. So, how are you all doing on May 6, 2018? I’m doing well, as today is my brother’s birthday, and he turned 21 today, which means that he’s now legally able to drink. And, I worked a hard five-hour shift both today and yesterday, so I’ve got some money coming my way soon. Oh, before I forget, I’ve gotten up to the final level of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and I’ll soon head to Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II. Well, I guess that that’s all that I wanted to talk about tonight. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	47. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone! What’s going on with all of you on May 8, 2018? I’m pretty nervous, as I am all but finished with my final community college class, and graduation is right around the corner. Anyway, I’ve begun to play Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II today, and I’ve already gotten over 100 gamerscore points in the game. Oh, and, more importantly in gamer news, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War: The Desolation of Mordor has been released today, and I’ve already gotten the DLC through my expansion pass. I can’t wait to play both of the game’s DLCs when I get back to the Xbox One, as I know that they will be amazing. So, when we last left our heroes and villains within Coruscant were about to do battle, and the Empire was preparing to invade the Lah’mu System. I promise that this chapter is when the action kicks back up into high gear, and it won’t stop until the end of the story, whenever it might conclude, and the sequel takes place. So, with all of the small talk out of the way, let’s get started on this amazing story, as we’ve only got so little time until the Empire strikes.
> 
> (May 9, 2018 Addendum.) Hey, guys. How are you doing on this warm day? I’m doing well, as I’m officially finished with my last community college class, and am ready for graduation in less than ten days to commence. So, have you been keeping up with the Injustice 2 prequel comic book series I’ve been keeping up with it since its beginning, and I am loving the twists and turns that the series has to offer us. I can’t wait to see how it all ties in to the Injustice 2 video game, and if DC Comics decides to make a third Injustice game, and another comic book series, or two of them, if they decide to create alternate universes based off of the two routes to take in the Injustice 2 storyline. Oh, and I just learned that YouTube has a concept trailer for The Witcher TV series, and I hope that it can measure up to the video games and books, because they are amazing. One more thing, and this is a big request: I assume that you guys know the volcanoes that are erupting in the big island of Hawaii, and I pray for the survivors to recover from this tragic natural disaster as quickly as possible, and that aid is sent to them immediately. I humbly ask each of your to pray for the victims of the horrors that are going on right now. Well, back to writing.

_Five Minutes Later_

_Thirty-Six Hours and Thirty Minutes Before the Battle of Lah’mu Begins_

 

Uriah was in his element once again, as he was overwhelming the pathetic defenses of the six-foot gray-skinned Umbaran Inquisitor who called himself Bruticus through his swift and precise lightsaber technique. Despite his adherence to the Jedi Code, the Cathar hunter within him relished the chance to hunt an opponent with even some ability to defend itself effectively.

 

“Is that all that you’ve got, traitor?” Uriah mockingly called out the Umbaran for his poor performance so far, before he continued his derision, saying, “I’ve fought droids and Mandalorians that were tougher than you, and they’ve often killed scores of people, while you’ve been stuck on guard duty for Iluvatar knows how long.”

 

Those insults at the Inquisitor’s lack of combat enraged the fallen Jedi Knight, and he blindly attacked the Jedi Master, who effortlessly sidestepped the Dark Sider’s clumsy strikes, and said in complete seriousness, “I’m going to end this little game, as my friends and I have got bigger fish to fry than a Sith’s errand boy.”

 

Before the Umbaran could respond, or even turn around, the Cathar bisected the Inquisitor from both torsos, killing the Dark Jedi seconds afterwards, barely allowing him any time to register the shock at his immediate death as his upper torso fell to the ground.

 

*

 

Raza found the Miraluka Jedi to be a challenge for her, even with her two decades of lightsaber training under her belt.

 

Sensing Bruticus’s death, and knowing that the odds were turning against her and her fellow Imperials, she decided to take a gamble in order to end this portion of the battle. She attempted flattery in order to try to convince the Jedi to join the Dark Side, and then said, “I’ve got to admit, you’re quite handy with that lightsaber, what, with you having no eyes. Just imagine how much stronger you’d become if you joined the Inquisitors. You could have whatever you would want, and no one would stand in your way. What more could a woman like you ask for?”

 

“A family, which is what I already have, Inquisitor. I have a loving family that the likes of you would never understand, as you’re too entrenched in the Dark Side to see what you’re missing in your life.” Ulra said in utter rejection of Raza’s offer.

 

“What? You mean those Jedi friends of yours? They’ll all be dead soon enough. If not by us, then by the Empire and the true masters of the galaxy.” Raza retorted in disbelief at the utter rejection of the offer. Her face then contorted in pure fury before she sensed the Miraluka’s errant thoughts on the Mandalorian that was currently fighting 11-4D, and smiled victoriously at the realization of the romantic bond between the two of them.

 

“Oh, this is rich!” Raza said in-between maniacal laughs at the irony of the situation. “You’ve fallen in love with the Mandalorian, haven’t you?”

 

“Actually, we’re married. And that’s none of your business, witch.” Ulra calmly replied as she sensed Uriah coming to support her, and she held her hand out in order to keep him from interfering in her battle.

 

She then motioned for Uriah to help Jasmine with her fight against Satar, and he reluctantly acquiesced.

 

Raza, surprised at the arrogance of the Miraluka in not accepting help against her, scathingly said, “You’ll regret not accepting his help, _Jedi_. My skills with a lightsaber far exceed yours.”

 

“Then come and prove it, fallen one.” Ulra sadly said, seeing that this woman would never listen to a word that she had to say, and that the only way that she and her loved ones could escape the Jedi Temple was if she killed her former Jedi sister. 

 

She then raised her lightsaber in preparation for the final battle against the Mirialan Dark Jedi.

 

*

 

Jasmine was finding it difficult to keep up with the nimbleness of the Terellian Jango Jumper Inquisitor, as every time that she came close to disarming him, he leapt away to another location.

 

The drawing out of the fight was starting to get to the female Cathar, and she struggled to keep her temper in check, especially due to the string of species-related insults that the Inquisitor was throwing at her.

 

“You know, for a filthy animal like yourself, I would have thought that you’d have rend my flesh asunder by now. I guess that the Jedi have diluted your species’ predator instincts. A shame, really, as I would have liked to have faced a worthy opponent.” Satar derisively insulted.

 

Jasmine found that she was at the edge of her untapped rage, and she took in several calming breaths in order to let go of her anger. Once she was done reining in her fierce passions, she faced Satar, and said to him, “And I would have thought that a _novice_ _acrobat_ such as you would use his talents to benefit others, instead of just going on a killing spree.”

 

Satar then found himself falling over the edge of his own anger, and he yelled a bloodcurdling scream as he launched himself at the woman, only to be pushed to the nearby wall through Uriah’s Force Push.

 

The strength of the Force Push from the elder Cathar, coupled with the sharp edges of the wall of the Sith shrine, was enough to knock the sadistic Inquisitor out cold from the searing pain that his back was now experiencing.

 

Jasmine then turned to face Uriah, and nodded her head in gratitude for the assistance. She then walked up to the fallen Jedi, and solemnly said to him, “I wish that it hadn’t come to this, but we can’t leave any loose ends for our mission. Goodbye, inquisitor.”

 

She then raised her lightsaber to deliver the killing blow against him, and swiftly and mercifully thrust it into the Terllelian Jango Jumper’s chest, killing him within seconds. Jasmine then allowed herself to shed a tear at the loss of another life due to the Sith’s scheming, but knew that she could not afford to show any further weakness at such a crucial time, and that there would be time to mourn later, once they had escaped Coruscant.

 

The older Cathar Jedi put a comforting hand on Jasmine’s shoulder, and Jasmine nodded in gratitude at the older man’s support, before they split up to help Ulra and Jak with their respective enemies.

 

*

 

“Can you sense it, Raza? Your compatriots are dead, and I’ll be getting support any second now. Lay down your arms if you expect to walk away from this encounter.” Ulra pleadingly said to the Mirialian in an effort to avoid any further bloodshed.

 

Raza sighed in defeat, and said, “My life is forfeit either way, Jedi, as the Emperor will have me executed for this gross failure if I survive, and I’m dead if I join your putrid cause. So, I’ll at least take as many of you as I can before the droid and I die.”

 

She then pulled out a thermal detonator, and armed it for a ten-second countdown, whispering under her breath, “ _Long live the Empire._ ”

 

She then charged at the blind Jedi in an attempt to take both of them out in a _kamikaze_ run.

 

What she did not foresee, however, was the timely arrival of Jasmine, who threw her lightsaber at the distracted Inquisitor, and managed to slice off her right foreleg, making her scream over the agonizing pain, and dropping the thermal detonator as she clutched her stump of leg.

 

Ulra, moving fast, pushed the explosive closer to the final living Inquisitor, and both Jedi bolted deeper into the shrine, where they were pushed off their feet by the force of the blast that took out Raza and the nearby turbolift.

 

Quickly gaining their bearings from falling onto the ground, the two Jedi looked with sorrow at the suicide of a patriot for a misguided and dark cause, and made haste in heading to help Uriah and Jak deal with the final defender of the Sith shrine.

 

*

 

11-4D, a long-time servant of the Order of the Sith Lords, beginning with Darth Plagueis over fifty years ago after the murder of his master, Darth Tenebrous, was facing a losing battle against the Mandalorian, Cathar Jedi, and astromech droid, each of whom sought to desecrate his master’s religious center with their foul presence. Despite his enhanced combat protocols and advanced weaponry, he was barely hanging on against the two adversaries, managing only to give the two men a few flesh wounds, while he had lost one of his four arms in the process.

 

Seeing that the two female Jedi were rapidly approaching his position, he realized that his chances of victory had plummeted to near zero percent, and that only drastic action could save the shrine now.

 

He quickly sent out a burst transmission to both Sate Pestage and their respective master on how the shrine was compromised, and regretfully said to his five enemies, “I regret that I could not live to see my master come to victory against your Shadow Alliance. But, alas, such is the sweet sacrifice of duty to one’s master. I bid you farewell, Jedi.”

 

11-4D then, much to the bewilderment of everyone, shut down, as he became as stiff as a board, and his back slouched downward.

 

“Did we win?” Uriah suspiciously asked, as he had never encountered an enemy like this, and did not want to take any chances with a servant of the Sith.

 

“I guess- Wait.” Jak said before he cut himself off, his helmet’s HUD picking up an energy surge within the fallen droid, and, after a brief scan, shouted, “Oh, _osik_! This thing’s got a proton bomb built into it that’s set to blow in less than a minute, and it’ll build up enough energy to take out everything within a hundred meters!”

 

“Can you disarm it?” Ulra said, keeping her head clear enough to think rationally, despite the fear that she was now experiencing at the prospect of death via explosion.

 

“No. Any interference from me could accelerate the countdown.” Jak said as Arseven rolled up to 11-4D’s body, and rapidly, but efficiently, set to work on disarming the proton bomb.

 

“Good luck, Arseven.” Jak quietly said in support of his friend, knowing that they were in capable hands.

 

After about thirty seconds of Arseven cutting and rewiring circuits within the fallen Sith droid, he whirred back to his teammates while victoriously beeping in celebration over disarming the proton bomb.

 

After an additional ten seconds, the fallen form of 11-4D self-destructed, but only affected the surrounding two meters, which nearly made the four organic Shadow Alliance members have a heart attack from the level of terror that they experienced.

 

“Arseven, I thought that the proton bomb was disarmed! Why did that droid just self-destruct?!?” Uriah furiously asked, worried that something worse was about to happen any second now.

 

Arseven then explained how he wired the droid to overload its circuits in order to prevent it from reactivating and posing a threat to the team, only after making sure that the proton bomb was properly disarmed before the team signaled for the rest of the Jedi on Lah’mu, as well as their Arda allies to begin their ritual.

 

“Well, thank you for thinking ahead like that, Arseven. But, next time, feel free to shoot us a warning so that we don’t nearly faint on the spot.” Ulra said, grateful that they were all alive due to Arseven’s quick thinking, but worried that the others would try to dismantle the droid after the dangerous stunt that he had just pulled.

 

“Look, we can stand here all day blaming Arseven for his heroic actions, or we can get back on track to knocking out this temple for good.” Jak said, eager to get this mission over with, and getting away from Coruscant before the Empire came for them.

 

“Agreed.” Jasmine said, motioning for Arseven to signal their Force-Sensitive and Arda allies to begin the cleansing ritual, and Arseven and Jak then set to work on placing high-grade explosives throughout the Sith shrine for when the Dark Side nexus was destroyed.

 

_Concurrently, On Lah’mu_

_Within the_ Second Chance

 

“Well, that was quick.” Tau said, more than impressed that the strike team had already infiltrated the Sith shrine, and he sent out a transmission to all of the Force-Sensitives, minus Admiral Volta, that were on Lah’mu. He then contacted Galadriel and the two Istari that were with her on Arda.

 

“My lady, everything is in place for the ritual on Coruscant and Lah’mu. Are you ready to channel our energies to cleanse the planet, because we’ll only get one chance at this before the Empire attacks?” Tau asked the Noldor queen and two wizards.

 

“ _Everything is in place, Jedi Palpatine. I only pray to Iluvatar that you all can survive the Empire’s retaliatory invasion of your summit, or the galaxy will be covered in an eternity of darkness._ ” Galadriel replied as she nodded her head in confirmation.

 

“We’re ready for the Empire, Lady Galadriel.” Ahsoka firmly stated, before she and Tau sat on the ground in a meditative position, and T’Ra Saa began to gather the energy from every Force-Sensitive that was meditating within the system.

 

_Meanwhile,_ _Within the Yaga System_

_Onboard the_ Empire’s Vengeance

 

“Send every trooper soldier in the Temple to the catacombs, and lock down the entire Coruscant System at once!” Sidious bellowed out to Sate, Mas, and Thire, who reeked of fear and anxiety over the burst transmission that 11-4D had sent before he self-destructed within the Sith shrine, indicating that Raza, Bruticus, and Satar had fallen to the Jedi, and that they had suffered no casualties.

 

“At once, my master.” Sate loyally said to the Emperor.

 

He then menacingly said to the three Imperials through the hologram, “If the shrine is defiled in _any miniscule_ way, I will have _your_ heads. Now, get moving.”

 

With that said, he disconnected the holonet connection, and turned to the hologram of his apprentice, reluctantly conceding to him, “It would appear that you were correct in your belief that the Jedi would bypass the defenses that I had installed, Lord Vader.”

 

“ _It matters not, Master. The Jedi can only slow down your efforts to rewrite reality itself, and they will not be able to…_ ” Vader began to dismissively say before he felt an immensely powerful concentration of Light Side energy on the nearby planet of Lah’mu, and, realizing that the Jedi were planning a major offensive against the Sith soon, he said to his master, “ _We need to launch the fleet within the hour. The Jedi are gathering their energy for a strike against us._ ”

 

“No… Lord Vader. They’re going to target the Sith shrine itself.” Sidious horrifically said, his wrath suddenly replaced with cold fear at the prospect of years of hard work, and losing such a vital tool in his plans for conquest.

 

Regaining his bearings, as well as now knowing that time was of the essence, Sidious quickly said to his apprentice, “Inform Trachta, Tarkin, and Halmere that the fleet is to launch within the next ninety minutes. Admiral Declann and I will protect the Sith shrine from the Jedi’s desecration efforts.”

 

“ _As you wish, my master._ ” Vader obediently said as he prepared to order each leader of the fifty _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, thirty _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, twenty _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, ten _Acclamator_ -class assault ships, and forty-five Imperial Light Cruisers to finish their preparations for the imminent jump to hyperspace in order to destroy the Shadow Alliance where it held its treasonous meeting.

 

_Meanwhile, On Arda_

_Within Lothlórien_

 

Lady Galadriel had not felt such a powerful concentration of Light-Side energy since the Valar had waged war against Morgoth at the end of the First Age, many millennia ago, and it nearly overwhelmed her physical form with the sheer amount of power that now flowed through her. 

 

The Neti Jedi Master T’Ra Saa on Lah’mu was directing the Light Side acolytes on La’mu.  Through T’ra’s usage of the rare and powerful arts of Battle Meditation and Force Meld, was able to transfer that energy to the Noldor queen and two Istari that were meditating beside her so they could share the burden of channeling so much energy through ancient Sindarian chants.

 

The three immortals, ready to begin the cleansing ritual of the Sith shrine on the planet of Coruscant, opened their eyes simultaneously, and unleashed the built-up concentration of energy towards the Sith shrine, where three other Jedi were placing explosives throughout the shrine in order to put a permanent end to the corruption beneath a bastion of freedom and justice.

 

They extended their reach, and felt the pall of darkness surrounding the capital world of the Galactic Empire, especially within the fallen Jedi Temple, where three Jedi and their allies were defending themselves against the insidious tendrils of the Dark Side. They shielded them from its touch, and began to cleanse the darkness from the five-thousand year-old monument of evil.

 

_Thirty Minutes Later_

 

As they worked on purging the dark energies from the ancient monument of Sith conquest, they felt two strong dark presences come to the defense of their resource, and Galadriel, in no mood for interference, and anticipating this intrusion, strongly but slowly said, “You have no authority here, Sheev Palpatine, and Nial Declann.”

 

She then used the buildup of Light Side energy to quickly force Declann out of the defense of the shrine, leaving only Sidious to face the wrath of Lady Galadriel.

 

Sidious then pushed back with his own dark energies, and snarled out, “ _No, you wretched Elf. It is you who has no authority here. This is a sacred relic of a glorious era, and I will not have it further defiled by you or the Jedi._ ”

 

Galadriel then smiled in triumph, which confused the Dark Lord of the Sith, before he all but instantly realized that he had been outplayed, and was vulnerable in this plane of existence due to his consciousness being separated from its body, and being outnumbered and overpowered by his adversaries.

 

He immediately began to feel his mind being attacked on several fronts, before seeing the spectral forms of the Jedi who dared to interfere in his work of reshaping the galaxy, and the knowledge of who was helping Galadriel made his blood boil. He saw the faces of the Jedi known as the Dark Woman, along with Aquinos, his Iron Knights, Zao, Quinlan Vos, Tholme, K’Kruhk, A’Sharad Hett, Kes Amnetesi, Du Epin, Xey Pen, Viridian Mallory, Vega Ryal, Daniel Valo, T’Ra Saa, his traitorous Hand, Arden Lyn, the former Inquisitor Gallies, now calling himself Ventis Uriel, the Force-Sensitive ex-Clone Trooper X2, and Dooku’s former right-hand, Asajj Ventress.

 

Finally, the last two Force-Sensitives that appeared angered the Sith Lord beyond comprehension, as they were his own descendant, Tau Palpatine, and Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker’s former Padawan. What truly surprised Sidious, however, were the faint traces of feelings that resided within the human clone and Togruta woman, and decided to inform Vader of that weakness so that he might exploit it in one way or another.

 

Each Force-Sensitive looked at Sidious without pity and remorse, and attempted to eradicate the Sith Lord’s consciousness from existence. Acting quickly, and knowing that the battle was lost, but not the war, the weakened, but mentally and spiritually whole, Galactic Emperor retreated from the Sith shrine, allowing the Jedi and immortals to quickly proceed with purging the Sith shrine of its Dark-Side taint.

 

_Simultaneously, Within the Yaga System_

_Within the_ Empire’s Vengeance

 

Sidious could hardly stand from the effort that it took to escape the ambush that the Shadow Alliance had prepared for him. After he ordered his Royal guards to summon his personal team of medics, he immediately contacted his apprentice in order to command him to take command of the operation, and to inform him of the loss of the Sith shrine, and his and Admiral Declann’s incapacitation for several days, if not weeks.

 

To say that Vader was incensed was a gross understatement, and he was all but unable to keep from ranting at his master on the lack of security regarding such a vital relic of the Sith.

 

Sidious was forced to summon the strength to say, “Enough, Lord Vader. Your point has been made. Unfortunately, we must attack the Shadow Alliance _now_ , before they carry out any other operations against us. You will take direct command of the mission, and are ordered to kill everyone aside from Tau Palpatine and his direct subordinates.”

 

“ _It will be done at once, my master._ ” Vader satisfyingly said, glad that he would be free of any shackles in his authority for this mission.

 

However, before he could close the transmission, Sidious said, “My apprentice, listen carefully, my descendant and Skywalker’s former apprentice have feelings for each other. Use that to your advantage, and use it to power your fury against our enemies.”

 

 “ _I will use every tool in my arsenal to bring down the traitors, master._ ” Vader carefully said, hiding the potent rage at Ahsoka for daring to love after she left him to this hellish tomb of his own making.

 

“Good. Now, launch the fleet within the next thirty minutes, as time is of the essence.” Sidious said as he ended the holonet communication, allowing his medics and royal guards to escort the Sith Lord to his personal chambers.

 

_At The Same Time_

_On Coruscant/Imperial Center_

_Within the Sith Shrine_

 

Uriah, Jasmine, and Ulra could sense the miasma of Dark Side energy surround the three Jedi, and they were becoming hard-pressed to shield themselves and Jak against its agonizing pull.

 

Just when their strength was at its lowest, the storm of darkness that would have overwhelmed them within seconds vanished as suddenly as it appeared, leaving them baffled.

 

“What just happened?” Jak asked the three Jedi, who would have known more of this situation than the young Mandalorian.

 

“I… I think they did it.” Ulra amazingly said, before she joyously said, “The Dark Side’s presence here has been all but eradicated. All that I can sense here is the echoes of Order Sixty-Six, and the presences of all the Jedi that came here before us.”

 

“So… we did it?” Jak asked his wife.

 

“ _That you did, Jak._ ” Said a voice that he had not expected to hear.

 

“Pol?!? What are you doing here?!?” Jasmine incredulously asked Pol Haus, the Zabrak who was the Prefect of the Imperial Sector Police, and one of the only surviving members of the original Whiplash Council before one of their members, Tuden Sal, threw it all away on a personal vendetta on the Emperor.

 

“ _Getting you all out of here before Pestage and Amedda gun you down, or you blow yourselves up in taking out this atrocity of art._ ” Haus gruffly replied, a rumbling sound coming from within the walls of the shrine.

 

“Well, we won’t say no to a free ride, but how are you going to get us out of here?” Jak asked, wondering just what the man had coming his way.

 

“ _Like this._ ” Pol simply replied before a blast came through one of the nearby walls, revealing a mole miner that was piloted by none other than the prefect himself.

 

After the four organic Shadow Alliance members gawked at how the man planned this escape route, Arseven irritatingly warbled at each of them in order for them to get a move on it, given that the detonators that the droid had planted while the Sith shrine’s nexus of power was destroyed, and since several squads of Imperials had entered the adjacent turboifts, and would enter the shrine in a handful of minutes.

 

The four quickly followed Arseven into the mole miner, and it burrowed away from the Temple through a predetermined escape route, where their YT-2400 ship was waiting for them in order to travel to the Lah’mu System to aid their friends.

 

_Nine Minutes Later_

 

Sate Pestage knew from the communication with Lord Vader that he was a dead man before he entered the underground Sith shrine, as he had failed his master in being unable to defend his most prized treasure from the Jedi’s incursion, and their purging of the Dark Side power from this holy temple.

 

What filled him with a strange and unexpected sense of comfort, however, were the thermal detonators that the Stormtroopers were reporting from every turbolift exit underneath the Jedi Temple.

 

Mas, in utter fear for his miserable life, bellowed for Thire to close the turbolift shaft, and head back up to the Temple before it was too late. Sate, on the other hand, who had resigned to his imminent death, stepped out of the turbolift, and noticed that the timer was set to go off in less than forty seconds.

 

“Grand Vizier, what in the blazes are you doing?!? You need to get on now, or you’ll die down here!” Thire pleadingly said, not knowing that it was already too late for everyone to live.

 

“Leave him, Commander! We must go now!” Mas said as he closed the turbolift, leaving the soon-to-be-deceased Grand Vizier of the Galactic Empire to die alone.

 

As the countdown reached its end, and the explosions that rocked the Temple consumed him, Sate only regretted that he could not have seen his master’s vision of an ordered galaxy come to pass, and feared that Tau and his friends would undo everything that his ancestor sought to accomplish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends a turning point in the now imminent Siege of Lah’mu. Now the Sith shrine has been destroyed, Raza, Bruticus, Satar, 11-4D, Sate Pestage, Mas Amedda and Commander Thire are dead, and Darth Sidious and Nial Declann have been incapacitated. Things just might be looking up for our heroes. So, what did you guys think of this chapter? Did you think that it was believable enough, or is there something that you feel could be improved upon? As always, your honest constructive criticism is appreciated. Anyway, how are you all doing on the warm evening of May 11, 2018? I’m doing well, as my brother is back home for a little over a week before he heads back for his own personal projects over the summer. And, I’ve been playing Dragon Age: Origins: Ultimate Edition, and I’ve already passed Lothering, acquired Shale, and have made it to Redcliffe. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, as I feel that, after this one, the Siege of Lah’mu can finally begin. You all better be giddy, because this is what will decide the fate of the Shadow Alliance. Well, I’m going to go to bed, as I’ve got a lot to do tomorrow. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	48. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone. How are you doing on the night of May 13, 2018, which also happens to be Mother’s Day for this year? I’m doing well, as I went to my sister’s dance recital, which was about three hours long, and was better than I thought it was, as I’m not really into dance that much. I then went to have dinner with my family at a local taco restaurant, and it was very good. I’m now finally home, and can write a while before I go to bed. First off, since we last spoke, I’ve completed the first part of Redcliffe, and have made it into the Fade within the Circle Tower in Dragon Age: Origins: Ultimate Edition. Second, when we last left the story, the Shadow Alliance had incapacitated Darth Sidious and Admiral Nial Declann, killed Sate Pestage, Mas Amedda, Thire, Bruticus, Raza, Satar, and 11-4D, and destroyed the Sith shrine underneath Coruscant’s Jedi Temple, and the Dark Side nexus inside of it, dealing several crippling blows to the Galactic Empire. Now the Siege of Lah’mu is finally upon us, and, I can guarantee you that the action will be worth remembering for a long time. Now then, let’s get started on the first chapter that will depict the Siege of Lah’mu. May the Force and Iluvatar be with us in these exciting times. 
> 
> (May 14, 2018 Addendum.) Hey, everyone. What’s up on this warm day? I’m doing well, if a little tired, as I was up late playing Dragon Age: Origins: Ultimate Edition on my Xbox One, and I’ve destroyed the demon that was controlling Connor Guerrin, romanced Morrigan (Which was new for me, as I usually choose Leliana, but not a bad thing), and am ready to begin the search for the Urn of Sacred Ashes, after I take care of some Chantry Board quests, start the Return to Ostagar DLC, and do the Soldier’s Peak DLC. Oh, and I’ve read over 30 pages of my Ronald Reagan book, and I’m greatly learning more of the man, which makes me glad that he was our president for eight years.

_One Hour Later_

_Forty Minutes Until Arrival into the Lah’mu System_

_In Hyperspace_

_Onboard the_ Imperial _-class Star Destroyer_ Retribution

 

“As you wish, Lord Vader.” Trachta forced himself to utter as he readied his fleet for the losing battle against the Shadow Alliance.

 

He then asked the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Navy, “Has the Emperor and Admiral Declann showed any signs of recovery?”

 

“ _That is not your concern, Trachta. Focus on crushing the Shadow Alliance and their traitors._ ” Vader dismissively said to the cyborg Grand Moff, which made the double agent wish that he could beat him to death with his bare hands like the Dark Jedi that turned him into a freak of nature.

 

“ _Forgive him, Lord Vader. He merely expresses a sentiment that we all share regarding our master._ ” Wullf deferentially said, lowering the simmering tension between the two rival Imperial leaders in the room to much less dangerous levels.

 

“ _The Emperor and Admiral Declann have been taken back to Khar Shian in order to receive the quickest medical aid. They will be expected to take up to seven days of recuperation before they can even consider returning to the front lines. We will need to destroy the Shadow Alliance before he returns, or he will take out his wrath on us for the failures of Pestage and Amedda._ ” Vader explained to the two Imperials, who nodded in understanding.

 

The Sith Lord then said, “ _Do not bother me with any other trivial matters, as Grand Moff Tarkin and I will be leading the ground attack against the Shadow Alliance, while you and Grand Inquisitor Halmere will keep the pressure on the naval forces of the traitors. Vader out._ ” 

 

With that, the hologram of the Dark Lord of the Sith vanished, leaving Trachta free to punch a wall in anger of having to put up with Vader’s arrogance and superiority complex, despite his ignorance of his own weaknesses. The force of Trachta’s cybernetic arm left a significant dent in the wall, and left Wullf’s own hologram quite worried for his friend’s safety over the Grand Moff having a fit of wrath.

 

After he took several calming breaths in order to keep himself from harming his friend, Trachta turned to face Wullf, and apologetically said, “Sorry you had to see that, Colonel. I just can’t stand Vader’s disregard for anything that, even imaginatively, gets in that man-child’s way!”

 

“ _I know the feeling. But, with luck, Tau and the others will deal with Vader, and we can take the Empire on a better path than Sidious and Vader have it set on._ ” Wullf sympathetically said, remembering how Vader killed several of his subordinates for failing in him in even trivial ways.

 

“Well, I’d better get to the bridge of the _Retribution_ in order to lead my fleet. May the Force be with us, old friend.” Trachta calmly said to the Imperial Security Bureau colonel, who nodded in agreement before closing the channel on his own temporary personal Star Destroyer, the _Retaliation_ , allowing the pale-skinned man to proceed to the bridge of the _Retribution_.

 

_Ten Minutes Later_

_Twenty-Eight Minutes Until The Siege of Lah’mu Begins_

_On Lah’mu_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

“ _The Imperials will be within the system in less than thirty minutes._ ” T’ra Saa serenely said to every leader of the Shadow Alliance, filling many of them with fear, as they had assumed that they had at least thirty more hours until the Empire ambushed them.

 

“ _Well, we knew that this preemptive attack was coming when your team infiltrated Coruscant’s Jedi Temple._ ” Saw sarcastically said to Tau and Viridian, before he said, “ _At least we took out several of the Emperor’s best servants, and took out one of his best resources._ ” 

 

“ _Enough chatter, guys. We need to finalize the plans for the Empire’s attack._ ” Rahm firmly replied, earning grateful nods from Travia and Kole.

 

“The shield generators that we established across the surrounding area will protect our ground forces from orbital bombardment, and our combined naval compliment will keep the bulk of the Empire’s fleet from attacking us. Our main problem is going to be Vader and his lapdogs.” Tau strategically said while looking at a projection of the Shadow Alliance’s fleet above Lah’mu.

 

“ _Well, there’s no better way to know whether or not our forces can work together than putting them through a life-threatening situation._ ” Winter lightly said in order to break the tension that was permeating the final Shadow Alliance conference before they engaged the Imperial fleet, earning her a few chuckles from those who knew her best. 

 

“ _Then let us cease this useless banter, and prepare to show the galaxy what we are capable of. Berch, is the Shadowfeed network ready to broadcast the battle across the galaxy?_ ” Vem Carr said as he spoke to the former Imperial Intelligence agent.

 

“ _Oh, yes. Once I key it in to our frequency, it’ll be ready to transmit everything that goes on within the system. We’ll show the galaxy, and those boot-lickers in the Senate that made Sidious emperor, just what kind of dictators and despots that they let into power._ ” Berch said, ready to take out the man responsible for the Antar Atrocities.

 

“Well, it’s a good thing that Vader and Tarkin will be leading the ground portion of the invasion. But, we need to take them alive in order to expose the Empire’s war crimes, and to gain as much intelligence on the Empire as we can gather before we take out Tarkin and Vader.” Ahsoka said, eager to capture two of the Empire’s most vicious and merciless men in power.

 

“ _That’s not going to be easy, Ahsoka._ ” Shonn forlornly said, knowing that Vader would rather die than be captured by the Jedi.

 

“I know, but, if we all work together, we can win this fight, and show the galaxy what we can do.” Ahsoka firmly replied, not willing to take “no” for an answer when it came to her former master.

 

“All right. You all know your assignments, so let’s get ready. May Iluvatar grant us victory in the wars to come.” Tau said with an air of finality, as he knew that many Shadow Alliance members would not survive the Imperials’ assault.

 

With that said, every hologram vanished as they prepared to carry out their part of the plan against the Empire.

 

Tau then turned to face his ship’s crew, and said to Akku Seii II, “Are you ready to take to the skies, old friend?”

 

“Do you even have to ask, Tau?” Akku Seii II rhetorically asked, before he got serious, and said, “The ship’s refueled, rearmed, and ready to fly and fight. I’ve got Arnine, Nagme, Gregor, and Hera here to help me maintain the _Second Chance_ , and they’re all ready to help take down the Empire.”

 

“Good.” Tau simply said before he turned to face the green-skinned Twi’lek, and said to her, “I owe your father big time for letting you temporarily join my crew.”

 

“Just kill a bunch of Imperials and their masters, and my father will call it even with you.” Hera dismissively said, not willing to take advantage of the young Palpatine’s generosity.

 

“Deal.” Tau said as he gave the young rebel a thumbs-up in support of her request. He then turned to leave his ship with Ahsoka, and join the remaining Jedi who were going to be stationed on the planet for the duration of the battle.

 

Once the couple exited the ship, the _Second Chance_ took off from its landing zone, and began to make its way into orbit, while the two Force-Sensitives quickly made their way to the troop carrier _Gil-Gilad_ , where they would await the Empire’s ground invasion, and speak with Elrond on the readiness of their contingency plan.

 

After entering the _Gil-Gilad_ , Tau greeted the leaders of the Arda delegation, who were each equipped with their customized armor and weapons for the imminent battle, and said to them, “What word from our forces in the Red Twins?”

 

“Admiral Libel reports that they are ready to come here within thirty-six hours, and will strike if we give the word, Tau.” Bain replied, earning a nod of gratitude from the Jedi Knight.

 

“Tau, are you ready for this battle?” Elrond asked his friend as he inspected his custom-made vibroblade and blaster rifle, confusing the young clone, as he had been in many battles before.

 

“Of course I’m ready, Lord Elrond.” Tau replied, not fully understanding the question. “I’m ready to take the first step in destroying my ancestor’s legacy, and I’ve got so many friends and loved ones to make it possible.”

 

“That isn’t what I meant, Tau.” Elrond gently replied, before he continued, saying, “What I meant, Tau, was if you were ready for all of the death and loss that would occur from the war to come.”

 

“Ah, no need to worry about him, Elrond.” Glóin dismissively said, knowing well enough that Tau was a warrior, and that he could handle the death that was to come, given the stories that he told the Company of Thorin Oakenshield about his brother before his creation. “If he’s anything like his brother, then he can more than handle a little bloodshed.”

 

“I think that Lord Elrond was more concerned about Tau’s spiritual well-being, as he has endured so much, and a person can only bear so much pain before their spirit breaks.” Haldir said to the Dwarf.

 

“Aye. True words, Haldir.” Balin said in agreement.

 

“I appreciate the concern, guys, but there’s no need to worry, I’m fine. I’ve got a family of my own to help me stay on the straight and narrow, and a girlfriend that I can count on to help me when things get too hairy.” Tau reassuringly said to the Arda representatives.

 

He then said, “Besides, we’ve got a battle to prepare for in about twenty minutes, so let’s drop the mushy stuff for now.”

 

“I’ll drink to that, Tau!” Glóin exuberantly said, eager to drink a fine brew of dwarven ale after they drove the Empire back.

 

“Good. Now, we’d better prepare ourselves for Vader’s arrival.” Tau said, eager to put all idle talk behind him for the next several days.

 

_Eighteen Minutes Later_

_In the Lah’mu System_

_Onboard the_ Venerator _-class Star Destroyer_ Retaliation

 

Maarisa Zsinj saw the eight other _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, includingRahm Kota’s _Sith’s Vengeance_ , the mismatch fleets of Kota’s militia, Saw Gerrera’s Partisans, the forces of Berch Teller’s cell, Cham Syndulla’s Free Ryloth movement, the Commenor Underground, Atrivis Resistance Group, and Christophsis resistance, and several dozen Mandalorian ships that belonged to the Mandalorians under Fenn Shysa’s command, the seven Yuuzhan Vong _Miid ro’ik_ , and the Remnant forces of twenty tank-like ships.

                                                                                                                                

She could hardly believe that so many forces had joined forces against the tyrannical Galactic Empire, and only wished that her son would be with her, instead of remaining loyal to the government that betrayed her over their own sick prejudices.

 

“Ma’am, we’ve got multiple bogeys entering the system about five hundred kilometers dead ahead!” The Retaliation’s Sensors-officer reported to his captain.

 

“How many?” Maarisa professionally said, prepared for the overwhelming odds that the Shadow Alliance was about to face.

 

“According to the scans… by the Force.” The Sensors-officer blanched in fear before he regained enough of his composure to finish his report, saying, “There’s fifty _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, thirty _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, twenty _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, ten _Acclamator_ -class assault ships, and forty-five Imperial Light Cruisers entering the system.”

 

In a handful of moments, the Lah’mu System suddenly became even more crowded with the Imperial fleet arriving in formation.

 

“Well, we wanted a chance to hurt the Empire, and now we’ve got one.” Maarisa flippantly replied in order to keep her crew’s spirits up. However, in a matter of seconds, she recognized one of the _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers as the _Iron Fist_ , and her blood quickly reached a boiling point as she realized that her son was still with the Empire, and was a part of the battle that would be the first step in restoring freedom to the galaxy.

 

“Oh, I’m going to enjoy taking you down, son.” Maarisa snarled to herself, not wanting her crew to know that this fight just became personal to her.

 

 _Meanwhile, Onboard the_ Devastator

 

Darth Vader was observing both fleets finalize their formation before the battle began, and he could sense the many Jedi within the star system, which made him clench his fists at their audacity to gather after the Jedi Order’s destruction.

 

“My lord, we’re receiving a transmission coming from the surface. They’re requesting to speak with you directly.” The bridge’s communications officer replied as he rose from his post.

 

“Put it through.” Vader simply replied, and the images of Tau Palpatine, Ahsoka Tano, and, from what Vader remembered from the intelligence reports before Dylan Libel deserted, several high-ranking individuals from the world of Arda came into focus.

 

“So the traitors have revealed themselves.” Vader derisively said in an effort to put the group of subversives off-balance.

 

“ _The only traitor that we see here is you, Vader._ ” Tau retorted, before he continued, saying, “ _You can’t win this fight, for we are fighting for more important things than power, glory, or, and this last one relates to you specifically, lashing out at everything in disgust for yourself and your failures._ ”

 

“Enough.” Vader commandingly said to the clone of a Palpatine, and said to all of them, “You contacted me. Now, I will give you one chance to surrender yourselves, the Erso family, the Jedi that gathered here, and your leaders. Do this, and I will spare the soldiers under your command. But, should you refuse, I will unleash hell upon all of you, and burn this world to cinders to get what I want.”

 

“ _You misunderstand,_ Anakin Skywalker _._ ” The brown-haired Elven lord stated before he rose from his seat as he continued to speak, saying, “ _We have no intention of surrendering to you, or anyone. We are only interested in_ your _surrender, as you have innumerable war crimes that you, your master, and your subordinates must answer for. Do this, and no one else has to die here._ ”

 

“Then you have sealed your compatriots’ fates, Elf.” Vader contemptuously said to the lord, before he finished by saying, “You will witness the death of your paltry Shadow Alliance, and the deaths of everyone that you hold dear to you. Only then, will I grant you the sweet release of death. Now, let us begin.”

 

With that, he used the Force to cut the transmission off, and said to Grand Moff Tarkin, who was watching from a distance, “Inform all forces to begin their attack at once. Do not stop until the enemy is broken, and instruct the commanders to remember their objectives.”

 

Both men remembered the directives that Sidious had left them, which was to capture as many Jedi as he could, especially Tau Palpatine and Ahsoka Tano, along with the Taungs that served Tau in order to create a new clone army, and the remaining leaders of the Shadow Alliance so that the Empire could root out any remaining enemies within and outside its ranks.

 

“At once Lord Vader. Shall I also give the go-ahead for TK-2224 and agent Kravous to begin their mission?” Tarkin loyally said.

 

“When is Cad Bane expected to arrive?” Vader first asked, wanting to make sure that everything was in place before the trap was snared shut.

 

“He’s already here.” Said the blue-skinned Duros bounty hunter, who just walked through the door to the bridge of the Devastator, and walked up to the Sith Lord and Grand Moff.

 

“Earlier than I expected. Well done, Bane.” Wilhuff said, impressed with the bounty hunter’s professionalism before he cut to the chase, and said, “I hope that you are prepared to fight under our command, Bane, for we cannot afford any loose cannons in such a vital military operation.”

 

“Don’t get your uniform in a knot, Tarkin. I know what to do, and I’ll play it your way. I’m to eliminate Tau’s Padawan alongside Kravous and Cody, and then help gather intel and wreak havoc on the enemies’ forces alongside Admiral Volta. As long as I get paid, then you have nothing to fear.” Cad reassuringly said to the aging human.

 

“If we succeed in this mission, then you will be paid ten times your usual rate.” Wilhuff promised, greatly pleasing the self-serving mercenary.

 

“Then we have an understanding.” Cad gladly said before he proceeded to head to his ship, saying in the process, “Just give me the signal, and I’ll be there to help your three agents.” With that, he left the Star Destroyer’s bridge in order to stay on his own ship, ready for when he was called upon.

 

Once the bounty hunter left the bridge, Wilhuff turned to face the Sith Lord, and inquired, “Shall I prepare the troops for a ground assault on Lah’mu, as I expect Director Krennic to take matters into his own hands if he doesn’t get Galen Erso back soon?” 

 

“First we need to draw away the enemy fleet from its position, and establish a landing zone that’s close to their shield generators that are protecting them from orbital bombardment.” Vader replied before he continued, saying, “If Director Krennic tries to deviate from the plan even once, then you have the authority to detain him and any of his loyal subordinates.”

 

_Ten Minutes Later_

_Onboard the_ Iridonian’s Legacy

 

TK-2224 was ready to eliminate the traitors that resided on and above Lah’mu, and essentially voiced his sentiments to his partner, who responded by saying, “Will you chill out, Cody? We’ll have plenty of opportunities to wreak havoc on the enemy, once Lord Vader orders us to begin our mission.”

 

“I just want justice for every clone, every Republic and Imperial citizen, that was killed because of the Jedi and their lackeys betraying their oaths to the government that they swore to serve.” TK-2224 growled out, eager to hunt down his perceived enemies.

 

“ _Well, we’re about to get our chance, Commander, because Lord Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin want us ready to depart as soon as they give the word. I expect us to begin our job within the hour._ ” Cad Bane said from his ship’s cockpit, as he was listening in on the conversation in order to keep up to date on when to begin their mission.

 

“Good. I can’t wait to get my hands on Gallies and his so-called ‘friends’.” Cody growled out, ready to do death upon those that opposed the Empire and its aims.

 

_Meanwhile, Within the Erso’s Hut_

 

“They’re here.” Saw said to Galen and Lyra, who nodded in response to Saw telling them that the Empire had arrived within the system.

 

Lyra then turned to face her husband, and solemnly said, “Then… this is good-bye, my love.”

 

Galen cupped his wife’s face, and gently said, “Don’t worry about me, Lyra. Just focus on raising Jyn, and keeping her safe until it’s time for her to fight. Remember, trust in Iluvatar.” He then kissed his wife with all of the love and passion that he had for her, and for regret over what he had to do for the greater good.

 

They only stopped when Jyn disgustedly said to them, “Ewww! Stop that. You’ll get space worms.”

 

Despite the severity of their situation, the senior Erso’s, and even Saw, could not help at Jyn’s childish innocence in spite of all that she had been through at such a young age.

 

Galen then picked up his growing daughter, and kissed her on the cheeks in affection before he said, “I love you so much, Jyn. Remember, no matter what you may hear, I’m doing all of this for you and your mother.”

 

“I love you too, father.” Jyn tearfully said, knowing that this may be the last time that she sees her father.

 

 _Meanwhile,_ _In the Providence-Class Dreadnought_ Remember Antar IV

 

“All right. This is it. Have you two got the Shadowfeed up and running?” Berch asked Anora and Hask, who nodded in confirmation, before Berch said, “Excellent. Then let’s start broadcasting.”

 

“Already done, boss.” Salikk replied, impressing Berch with everyone’s initiative, before he heard something that made him smile victoriously. Salikk continued to speak, saying, “We’ve got viewers from every corner of the galaxy, and they all witnessed the offers of surrender from both Tau and Vader, as well as the disclosure of Vader’s true identity. Oh, this is gonna be a great broadcast.”

 

“All right, guys, let’s stay on target here.” Berch reminded everyone of the current battle raging, and he then said, “We’ll have plenty of time to read some replies after we drive the Imperials back to their mothers.”

 

“I’ll drink to that, boss.” Cala joyously replied before he returned to his work, and everyone else prepared to fend off the Imperials’ onslaught.

 

_Twenty Minutes Later_

_Onboard the_ Devastator

 

The Imperial fleet began its attack on the Shadow Alliance’s forces with simultaneous attacks on all fronts in order to keep the latter off-balance.

 

Several Imperial Star Destroyers and their starfighter escorts attacked the Shadow Alliance by probing their right flank, where the Yuuzhan Vong and Remnant forces were stationed.

 

Expecting an easy slaughter, they deployed all of their fighter complements against their strangely designed opponents, only to find that their starfighters were far more advanced than their Imperial enemies were. The Coralskippers and Remnant fighters tore through the TIE Fighters, ARC-170 Starfighters, and V-Wings that stood in their way, allowing the capital ships to fire volleys at the Star Destroyers.

 

The captains of each of the five _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, three _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, an _Acclamator_ -class assault ship, and eight Imperial Light Cruisers did not expect the molten projectiles of the seven _Miid ro’ik_ , and the steel projectiles of the twenty Remnant ships to pass right through the deflector shields of the capital ships, and crash into key areas of the hulls of each ship, destroying all but one _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyer and one _Acclamator_ -class assault ship. The two heavily damaged ships were then allowed to retreat in order to show the Imperials that the Shadow Alliance was an honorable force.

 

Unfortunately for the commanders of the two surviving ships, Vader did not like what he witnessed, and began to telekinetically strangle Captain Cassio Tagge and Commander Gilad Pellaeon with the Dark Side of the Force.

 

As the two men’s life was being choked out of them by the Dark Lord of the Sith, Tarkin came to their defense by saying to Vader, “Enough of this, Vader. Release them immediately. We need every man if we’re going to destroy these traitors, and I will not lose two good officers over our failures.”

 

“Very well, Tarkin.” Vader said in acquiescence, and released his hold over the two young men that he was currently strangling, allowing them to fall to their knees and gasp for breath in order to replace the oxygen that they had lost due to Vader’s efforts to kill them.

 

“You two are in no position to aid us anytime soon. Retreat to the Yaga System in order to facilitate the necessary repairs, and return to aid us once your ships are fully repaired.” Tarkin ordered his two subordinates, who nodded in gratitude over the Grand Moff intervening in order to save their lives.

 

As the holographic conversation ended, Tarkin told Vader, “I would recommend that you and the other Inquisitors lead the starfighter attack on the Shadow Alliance fleet, and then rendezvous with my armies once you’ve cleared a path for us to safely land, as we can’t afford any more reckless strategies.”

 

“Agreed. Be ready to lead the charge on the _Devastator_ when I give the signal. And make sure that TK-2224, Kravous, and Bane are in the first assault, as this will be our best chance to sneak them past enemy lines.” Vader said in concurrence as he left to prepare his TIE Advanced x1 for battle.

 

_Twenty Minutes Later_

_Within the_ Devastator _’s Hangar Bay_

 

Prosset Dibs, a Miraluka who was once a well-respected Jedi Master before he quickly grew disillusioned with the Jedi Order’s role in the Clone War in an early mission, and attempted to kill Mace Windu after accusing the man of attempting to distort the Order’s teachings to ease the Jedi’s transformation into Jedi Generals. He was soundly beaten by the Korun Jedi Council member, and sentenced to work in the Jedi Archives until Sidious had him presumed killed-in-action during the Cortosis Battle Droid attack on Coruscant, while he was actually captured by Dooku, and forcibly trained as a future Inquisitor within the Sith’s secret hideout within the Works, until he eventually fell to the Dark Side a year after the Empire rose.

 

He was very eager to get out into the field and kill several Jedi and their supporters, as was his nineteen fellow Inquisitors, ten Shadow Guards that were equipped with some new type of armor acquired from the world of Arda, and the two Emperor’s Hands assigned to this mission, Jeng Droga and Sarcev Quest. They all readied their Eta-2 Actis-class interceptors for the charge agasinst the Shadow Alliance, and each sounded off their callsigns for their assigned fighter squadrons.

 

“You all know your mission. We are to eliminate the Shadow Alliance while keeping their leaders alive for interrogation. Destroy anyone who gets in our way.” Vader said in instruction to his direct subordinates.

 

 _Oh, I love those kind of orders._ Prosset sadistically thought as his astromech droid reported that all systems were green across the board. He then followed the Sith Lord’s lead in departing the Devastator, along with his fellow Dark Side acolytes, and led the charge against the Shadow Alliance’s starfighter complements.

 

_Meanwhile, on Lah’mu_

_Within the_ Gil-Gilad

 

“Vader’s left the _Devastator_ to lead his personal retinue of Dark Siders against us in the battle above space.” Tau said to the assembled leaders and Jedi, who were spread out across the system in protecting their troops.

 

“ _Then he’ll soon break through our defenses, as he was a legend as a pilot, even before he became this abomination of a Sith Lord._ ” Cham despondently said, worried over how many of his people would survive this suicide battle.

 

“He won’t, General Syndulla, because he’ll want to personally deal with us, Ahsoka, and the Jedi, and he can’t do that from his TIE Fighter.” Rex confidently said, earning nods of agreement from those who once knew the cyborg Sith Lord.

 

“So, do we proceed with the plan that we devised, then?” T’Ra said from her meditative spot within the _Gil-Gilad_ , where she prepared to perform the art of Battle Meditation in order to turn the tide of the battle in the Shadow Alliance’s favor. 

 

“Yes.” Tau said in complete seriousness, before saying, “We can do this, but only if we work together, and fight as one. To do that, we need to trust each other completely. I only pray that we can do this, or the consequences will be unspeakable for all of our peoples.”

 

“ _Then let’s stop all of the melancholy talk, and get started on the battle, because my boys are antsy for some payback on the scum that took our homes and loved ones from us._ ” Saw enthusiastically said, echoing the sentiments of many rebel leaders.

 

“Agreed.” Ahsoka said, herself eager to get some payback at the people that took so much from her.

 

With that, the holograms of each of the rebel leaders vanished in order for each of them to prepare their forces for the space or ground assault.

 

“Tau.” Ahsoka suddenly said, before she fiercely kissed her boyfriend for a few seconds, before she pulled away, and said in the form of an explanation, “For luck, dear.”

 

“Okay.” Tau said, dumbfounded at Ahsoka’s forwardness before he regained his composure, and confidently said, “When this is over, and we escape the system, I’m gonna keep my promise to you, and take you on a real date.”

 

“Good.” Ahsoka satisfyingly said before they each left the troop transport in order to give T’Ra the focus she needed for what she was about to do. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I think that this was an excellent starting point for the Siege of Lah’mu, what, with the beating that the Yuuzhan Vong and Remnant forces gave the Imperials. But, don’t worry, the battle’s far form over, and the heroes will suffer plenty of losses of their own before the siege is over. I’m just glad that I decided to keep Pellaeon alive, as I didn’t want to kill off one of the best of the Imperials for their strong morals and ethics. So, what did you think of the inclusion of Prosset Dibs? I included him because, after learning from Wookieepedia that he is still alive as an Inquisitor, I felt it best to introduce him into the story. But, whether or not he’ll survive, along with Cody, especially with the odds stacked up against them and the rest of the Imperials, is anyone’s guess. So, I wrote this chapter in just three days, as today is May 15, 2018. I guess that means that my writing mojo is back, and I love it. And to think that I’ve still got time to play video games and read. Speaking of video games, I’ve been playing Dragon Age: Origins: Ultimate Edition, and I’m ready to head to Haven and retrieve the Urn of Sacred Ashes. So, I guess that I’ll be done for tonight. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	49. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone! How are you doing on the gloomy day of May 16, 2018? I’m doing well, as I don’t have to work until Saturday, and I plan to get a lot of writing in until the weekend, where I’ll be pretty busy. Hey, I just remembered that tomorrow is my graduation day from community college. That has me so nervous, as I’m not sure if I’m ready to go to a four-year university. But, as long as God is with me, and I keep doing my best, I know that everything will work out just fine. So, in other news, I’ve completed the Urn of Sacred Ashes quest by killing Kolgrim and his cult of fanatics, slain the high dragon, and revived Arl Eamon. I will soon go to Ostagar in order to retrieve the items that he left behind, and then kill Flemeth. Afterwards, I’ll probably go to Orzammar in order to recruit Oghren and the rest of the Dwarves. Oh, before I forget, I bought the latest two issues of Injustice 2, and I enjoyed them very much. I have to say, though, that I pity Supergirl and Athanasia Al Ghul, as they were both manipulated by maniacs and demented villians for their own sick ends, even though Athanasia was a murderer, and Kara did break free from the lies that she was fed once she learned the truth about her supposed friends and her twisted cousin. Anyway, I’d better get to writing, as I’ve got so much to write about over the next few days, and many of Squasher’s ideas to implement in the next several chapters. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me as I continue to be a humble servant of Squasher’s incredible genius and vision. 
> 
> (May 17, 2018 Addendum) Hey, guys. How are you doing on this warm day? I’m ecstatic, as I’ve just had my community college graduation, had a delicious burger at a nearby restaurant, and got home. Let me tell you, the ceremony was quite long, but at least I got it done. Now comes the hard part: starting a four-year university in less than three months in order to get my Bachelor’s degree. And, I’ll be busy with work since my schedule’s mostly cleared up after graduating. Oh, one more thing. Did you guys hear that BioWare is producing a Dragon Age 4 game? I don’t know about you, but that has me completely ecstatic, as I love the franchise, and can’t wait to play the next game in a few years, as I expect it to take at least that long, given that it took them more than three years to make Dragon Age: Inquisition after the release of Dragon Age II. Well, I’d better get back to writing.
> 
> (May 19, 2018 Addendum) Hello, everyone. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I missed work today due to me mixing up my times for today and tomorrow. At least it wasn’t too busy at the movies, otherwise I would have high-tailed it to work, and I wouldn’t be able to write right now. I feel like such an idiot for making such a rookie mistake. But, at least I got to mow my parents’ lawn today, which gave me quite a workout. Well, if all goes well, I should be finished with this chapter today, so wish my luck. Now then, enough talk. Back to writing.

_Twenty Minutes Later_

_Within the Lah’mu System_

_Five Hundred Kilometers From Lah’mu_

_Onboard the_ Imperial _-class Star Destroyer_ Judicator

 

Orson Callan Krennic, director of the Imperial military's Advanced Weapons Research division, and, alongside his rivals of Grand Moff Tarkin and Bevel Lemelisk, was one of the chief architects of the planet-destroying superweapon that was codenamed “Death Star”, and was nearing the first phase of completion above Geonosis, was growing antsy over the progress of the ongoing space battle. The Imperial fleet, for all of its ever-expanding power and might, could only make miniscule progress against the mismatch of fleets that composed the Shadow Alliance’s naval complements.

 

“Calm yourself, Director Krennic. Lord Vader and the Inquisitors are making significant progress on the left flank of the enemy forces, and we’ll have our beachhead soon. You just need to keep a cool head and sound mind, and not overreact to minor setbacks.” Said Moff Ardus Kaine, the commanding officer of the Star Destroyer that the director was currently stationed on.

 

“Don’t lecture to me about patience, Moff Kaine.” Krennic said, seething over the reprimands that he was being given by a person that he considered being an inexperienced and lesser-ranked officer. “I need to ensure that our weapons development programs are secure, and we need Galen Erso if we’re going to complete our best weapon.”

 

“Surely there are other scientists in Dr. Erso’s field of research that could measure up to the good man’s level of expertise.” Kaine inquired, knowing that Orson was mainly seeking after Galen due to how he was outmaneuvered by the pacifist, and wanted to rectify his error in judgment in trusting the deserter when he merely followed his conscience.

 

“You don’t think that I haven’t looked, Kaine?” Orson viciously countered, before he continued, passionately saying, “I’ve spent the last two years looking through dozens of potential replacements, and none of them are half as proficient as Galen is, so I’ve had to reassign them to less important work in order to keep the Emperor from disposing of them. No, it has to be him, or it could take decades to complete the work.”

 

“I see. Then we can only hope that the Empire can succeed in capturing the Erso family, otherwise Galen will never agree to cooperate with those that seek to build such a potent weapon of mass destruction.” Kaine said, playing along with Orson’s ego and pride in Galen’s intelligence.

 

“Indeed.” Krennic said, grateful that Ardus, at the very least, seemed to have a general understand of the stakes that were inherited with this mission.

 

_Meanwhile, Back on Lah’mu’s Surface_

_Within the_ Skorp-Ion

 

“You ready to kick the Imperials in their _shebs_ , Quin?” Khaleen teasingly said to her husband as she readied the ship for their infiltration mission to one of the Star Destroyers that were attacking their newfound friends.

 

“Do you even need to ask, Khaleen?” Quinlan jokingly said to his wife as he finished fine-tuning his lightsaber for any last-minute improvements that could be made to it.

 

“I would hope not, Jedi Vos, for this mission is too vital for any mistakes to be made, whether they be unintentional or otherwise.” Said a sage voice of Akku Seii I with five of his students, who were to join Quinlan on this mission.

 

Quinlan scowled at the master assassin for his slight reprimand of the Jedi Master’s infiltration abilities from the Anzati, as he took mission that he went on with complete seriousness, knowing that even a miniscule mistake could cost him his life, and the lives of his teammates and family.

 

“Don’t worry about me, Seii; I more than know when it’s time to get serious. The real question here is whether or not your students can control their impulses during battle.” Quinlan retorted, earning a small smile from the master assassin.

 

“Your wit does you credit in staving off your fear. But, beware of... how do you people phrase it, ‘Put my foot in my mouth?’ Is that the saying?” Akku asked either Quinlan of Khaleen for clarification.

 

“Yeah, you got it right, Akku.” Khaleen distractedly said as she finalized preparations for the _Skorp-Ion_ ’s takeoff.

 

“Look, Jedi Vos, you have every right to hate the Anzati who butchered your parents, but do not take it out on me or my students, as your former master respects me. Not to mention that Tau trusts me and my son, and you trust him, don’t you?” Akku said in an effort to establish a measure of trust with the one Jedi who had a prime reason to hate Anzati.

 

“Don’t worry about me, Akku. I can put my differences aside for the mission, as I’m a professional.” Quinlan neutrally said, his voice not betraying any emotion at all as he spoke to the master assassin.

 

“Excellent. Then we should have no problem working together, then.” Akku satisfyingly said as the _Skorp-Ion_ began to take off with the rest of the infiltration teams that would destroy several Imperial Star Destroyers so the Shadow Alliance could wreak havoc on the Imperials’ ranks.

 

Concurrently,

 _Onboard the_ Imperial _-class Star Destroyer_ Adomintor

 

“Hmm. I sense a subtle murmur within the Force, Captain Thrawn.” Grand Inquisitor Halmere stated to his right hand, Moff Ardus Kaine, as he turned from the bridge’s transparisteel windows to face the dark-skinned man.

 

Knowing that when Halmere spoke, he did not mince words, Thrawn dutifully said, “What do wish of me, Grand Inquisitor?”

 

“I sense several Jedi cloaking themselves from our senses. Where they have disappeared to, I cannot be certain, but I know that they remain within the system.” Halmere explained to his direct subordinate.

 

Thrawn, himself wondering what the Jedi could come up with to defeat Vader and the Dark Siders, suddenly came across an astonishing conclusion, and cautiously voiced his concerns to his superior by saying, “Sir, you said that you are unable to sense several Jedi, yes?”

 

“That is correct.” Halmere replied, wondering just where the young up-and-coming captain was going with this theory of his.

 

“What if the Jedi are planning to assassinate the commanding officers of the invasion force, in order to throw our forces into disarray? Several Jedi that were reported at this summit have been renowned for their skills in infiltration, and could easily slip past our cracks in our security that have opened up due to our attack on the enemy fleets.” Thrawn carefully explained his theory to the Grand Inquisitor, who seemed to be heavily considering it.

 

“Yes… You may be right, Captain.” Halmere said in concurrence, saying, “Admiral Volta reported that Quinlan Vos, Tholme, and the Dark Woman were seen at the summit, along with several teams of Anzati, who are all masters of espionage and sabotage.”

 

Quickly realizing what he needed to do, he instructed Thrawn, “Establish a secure link to Grand Moff Trachta at once. We need to bolster our ships’ security in order to stave off the probability of incursions by the Jedi.”

 

“At once, Grand Inquisitor.” Thrawn dutifully said as he set to work on raising the cyborg Grand Moff.

 

After several minutes of waiting, an aggravated Trachta greeted Halmere, saying, “ _This better be good, Grand Inquisitor. I’ve got my own problems to worry about with the Mandalorians, Partisans, and Kota’s Militia, and they’re really putting on the pressure on my ships._ ”

 

“This won’t take long, Grand Moff. In fact, this conversation may just save a few more of your people’s lives.” Halmere politely replied, knowing that the strong-willed cyborg was needed for this vital operation to succeed, and that the Emperor would have him executed for incompetence if he failed to work together with Trachta.

 

He then continued to speak, saying, “Captain Thrawn and I believe that several Jedi and their Anzati assassins are planning to infiltrate several of our ships in order to sow confusion and chaos in our ranks.”

 

This sudden declaration caught Trachta’s attention, and he said, “ _Can you confirm this?_ ”

 

“I can sense the disappearance of several Jedi within the Lah’mu System, and I believe that Captain Thrawn has a report to give.” Halmere stated.

 

“Yes, Sirs.” Thrawn dutifully said, before he continued, saying, “I’ve just received reports that the _Skorp-Ion_ , the purported personal ship of Quinlan Vos, along with several other custom ships, have entered orbit above Lah’mu, and are being escorted by several fighter squadrons towards Battlegroup Foxtrot.”

 

The young Imperial captain was referring to the advance squadron of the _Devastator_ , two additional _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, five _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, three _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, an _Acclamator_ -class assault ships, and ten Imperial Light Cruisers that was leading the assault on the Shadow Alliance’s center.

 

“ _Good work, Captain._ ” Trachta said in praise of the young captain’s analytical and observational mind.

 

He then said to his fellow fleet commander, “ _Order all battlegroups to tighten all security points within each sector, and inform us if any unknown persons are reported within any of our ships._ ”

 

“At once, Trachta.” Halmere cordially said, grateful that the non-Force-Sensitive man was on his side, and that he didn’t have to exert his power over him.

 

With that, Trachta nodded his head in gratitude, and disconnected the holonet transmission, allowing the Grand Inquisitor and Shadow Alliance spy to continue to oversee their part of the operation.

 

_One Hour Later_

 

Darth Vader was nearly lost in his memories of countless battles in space during his time as a Jedi as his prototype TIE Advanced x1 cut through several various Clone Wars-era fighters, killing the pilots inside, including several renegade Clone Troopers that dared to desert from the Empire to spread chaos and sedition across the galaxy.

 

Despite losing one of the Shadow Guards to a lucky shot from a Partisan fighter, his Dark Side Acolytes had already taken out one hundred and twenty Shadow Alliance starfighters and two CEC CR90 Corvettesin the last twenty-five minutes.

 

The Shadow Alliance’s ranks had a small but significant hole in their ranks due to their decreasing number of fighter pilots, allowing the Empire to split the Shadow Alliance’s forces into two groups, and letting the Empire send Battlegroup Foxtrot, minus two Imperial Light Cruisers and a _Victory_ -class Star Destroyer that were destroyed by the Mandalorians, into Lah’mu’s orbit, and deploy several battalions of Imperial forces.

 

 _Concurrently, Within the_ Skorp-Ion

 

“Well, this is it. May the Force be with you, Quin.” Khaleen tenderly said to Quinlan, before turning to face Akku Seii I and his five students, and threateningly said to the Anzati, “Keep him safe for me, or I’ll blast all of your brains out.”

 

Akku smiled at Kahleen’s threats over keeping her mate alive and well, and, after placing a hand on his heart, said to the human woman, “You have my word that, on my life, I will keep your husband safe from the Imperials on board the _Demolisher_.”

 

“Good.” Khaleen said, choosing to believe the assassin at his word, as she didn’t have the luxury of being choosy with her allies. She then examined the ship’s readouts, and said to the seven-man team, “Well, the jamming tech worked like a charm. The Imps have no clue that we’re here. Once you head out, I’ll rejoin the fray until you signal me for extraction.” Khaleen then began to ready the _Skorp-Ion_ to depart from the emergency docking port of the newly arrived _Gladiator_ -class Star Destroyer, which was the flagship of the lately-arrived Admiral Terrinald Screed’s four-ship flotilla of reinforcements, which was delayed due to an attack by opportunistic pirates in the Obrexta System, delaying the admiral for the previous ten hours.

 

“Understood. You and Korto stay as safe as you can be until then.” Quinlan said before he and the seven-man team departed the ship in order to infiltrate and destroy Admiral Screed’s personal Star Destroyer, leaving Khaleen to pray to the Force to keep her beloved husband safe until this terrible battle was concluded.

 

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_Onboard the_ Retribution

 

“Sir, we’re receiving reports of transmissions of the battle being sent in all directions!” The Imperial Star Destroyer’s communications officer said to Trachta, who immediately swerved his head to face the woman, and he quickly walked towards her.

 

“How could that be? We’re in control of all local Holonet relays in the sector, for kriffing sake!” Trachta cursed out, hiding his admiration for the Shadow Alliance’s resilience and tenacity during this battle.

 

“It’s not the Holonet that they’re using, sir. I recognize the frequency as a part of the CIS’s old Shadowfeed Network. They’re using it to broadcast the battle across the entire galaxy!” The woman nearly exclaimed in horror, as she did not understanding how this so-called ragtag group could have access to such resources.

 

Trachta, on the other hand, immediately put the pieces together in his mind, and said in false anger, “Berch Teller, that cunning bastard.” He knew that the ex-Imperial Intelligence agent had access to the old Shadowfeed codes, that he was a part of the Shadow Alliance’s High Command, and that a Shadow Alliance victory here could rally many anti-Imperials to the cause, which made the cyborg smile underneath his respiratory mask with pride in making the right choice in helping stop Sidious’s insanity.

 

Realizing that he needed to deliver this information to Tarkin and Vader in order to maintain his cover, he immediately said to the communications officer, “Get me a line to Grand Moff Tarkin immediately, Lieutenant. We need to quash these rebels quickly if we’re going to keep any seditionists from gaining any momentum or motivation.”

 

“Yes, sir.” The woman loyally replied, typing furiously on her keypad for two minutes before she said, “Sir, Governor Tarkin is on the line, but he doesn’t have much time, as he’s to help Lord Vader lead the ground forces against the Jedi.”

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll be quick.” Trachta said, motioning with his hand to the officer to open the fellow Grand Moff’s transmission. 

 

“ _This had better be important, Trachta._ ” Tarkin seethed, before condescendingly continuing, saying, “ _We’re encountering heavy resistance from the traitors. Their coordination is incredible, and Lord Vader suspects that the Jedi are responsible for it._ ”

 

“With respect, Tarkin, this is just as important.” Trachta countered with false civility, as he despised the humaneocentric man who had an impossibly large superiority complex, before he continued, imploringly saying, “The Shadow Alliance is using the Confederacy’s Shadowfeed relays to broadcast this battle to every sector in the galaxy. We need your expertise with the network if we’re going to shut it down before COMPNOR can’t cover it up.”

 

“ _They did WHAT?!?_ ” Tarkin bellowed into the intercom, livid that the Jedi would dare use the Confederacy’s old propaganda network to spread their seditious beliefs throughout the galaxy, and undo the man’s work in countering the CIS’s false news during the Clone War, before he calmed down enough to arrogantly say, “ _Then the galaxy will see just how this so-called Shadow Alliance will crumble against the might of the Imperial Navy and Army. Order all Imperial forces near the Shadowfeed relays to stay on standby until otherwise given the order to destroy them._ ”

 

“What?!?” Trachta exclaimed in disbelief at Tarkin’s lack of disregard for this blatant secutiry breach, and attempted to protest this foolhardy decision before the native from Eriadu cut off the transmission, leaving Trachta to look blankly into space as he wondered if the Jedi had a hand in this, and if this was all a part of Tau’s plan for destroying the Empire, as Tarkin usually did not tolerate such a blatant security breach like this.

 

Realizing that he was in uncharted territory now, and that it was too late to turn back now from this battle, he silently uttered a prayer to whatever gods were out there for the Shadow Alliance to survive and bring peace to the galaxy, and loudly said to the bridge’s officers, “Everyone, return to your duties. We still have a battle to win.”

 

 _And a war to lose so that the galaxy can be saved._ Trachta mentally added, hoping that whatever plan Tau and the others came up with could work against Vader’s unrelenting fury.

 

_Meanwhile, On Lah’mu_

_Within the Shadow Alliance Camps_

 

Ta, Viridian, and Ahsoka could sense Vader, his Dark Side Acolytes, and their legions approaching the Twi’lek camp, and Tau could not help but do something that neither his girlfriend nor his best friend could have ever expected; he smiled at the carnage that was unfolding in front of them and began to sing.

 

“ _Stone by stone_

_Cracked, crushed, fallen_

_Beauty burned, erased_

_But not forgotten_

_I’ll take your melodies_

_May your last breath_

_Fill the air with embers_

_I inhale_

_In their blood I will stand_

_Let the waning light of man_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_

_Till our time burns away_

_Till our embers fade to grey_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_

_My grief is swollen_

_In rusty chains_

_Tethered to the killing wheel_

_Sun up, sun down, sun up, sun down, again_

_One burning candle_

_One wind whipped flame_

_I carry in my teeth like an animal_

_Vengeance my strength_

_In their blood I will stand_

_Let the waning light of man_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_

_Till our time burns away_

_Till our embers fade to grey_

_Cast my shadow on the fires of war_ _!_ ”

 

“Uh… What the _kark_ was that for, Tau?!?” Viridian exclaimed to Tau, who had finished singing the Númenorian song that both Jedi were very fond of.

 

“Sorry. I just remembered when Daala and her Neo Death Watch invaded Mandalore in order to crush my brother’s Shadow Alliance, and I couldn’t help but remember the similarities between the two invasions. What I would give to have Edaan with us right now.” Tau nostalgically said, before he continued, saying, “I wish that he could have learnt the song. He would have sang it nonstop in understanding its true purpose, and how it resonated deeply within his own soul. Now, we have a battle to get to, and Dark Siders to stop.” 

 

“And a Grand Moff to arrest for war crimes.” Ahsoka heatedly said, not willing to let the man that tried to have her killed in the name of his own prejudices walk away from his sins yet again.

 

With that said, the three Force-Sensitives resumed their stride to the front of the battle in order to get an assessment of the situation, and to help their comrades survive and drive back the Empire’s onslaught.

 

_Ten Minutes Later_

_Within the Twi’lek Camp_

 

A’Sharad Hett and Arden Lyn were in their element within the thick of battle, as they were killing Imperial Stormtroopers by the dozens, while the Remnant Atleasian Knights and Paladin Mechs gunned down scores of the Empire’s forces.  The two grizzled war veterans had spent the last few weeks perfecting their teamwork and coordination, and were now working in perfect synch against the enemy that sought to overwhelm them through sheer numbers.

 

They were not so caught up in the thick of battle, however, to fail to sense the arrival of the five Dark Siders: the four Inquisitors: Prosset Dibs, the Dowutin called Masana Tide, Zabrak Ja’ce Yiaso, Pua’an Lucius Ferren, and Emperor’s Hand Jeng Droga, approached the two Light-Siders with killing intent obvious in their eyes.

 

A’Sharad glared at each of the three former Jedi, raised his father’s lightsaber in defiance against the odds, and said to the three Dark Jedi, “You three are a disgrace to the order that trained you. We swore an oath to protect the people of the Republic, and you have turned your backs on the light for power and bloodshed.” 

 

“We were already hypocrites that turned our backs on the principles of the Order when we became Generals in the so-called ‘Grand’ Army of the Republic, Hett.” Prosset angrily said to the former Tusken Raider, who only intensified his glare at the Miraluka Inquisitor.

 

“Oh, the truth hurts, doesn’t it, Hett?” Masana contemptuously said while using the Dark Side to emphatically read A’Sharad’s mind, and continued her compatriot’s train of thought by saying, “The Jedi were always a privileged lot who took advantage of the goodwill of the Republic for deeds millennia ago. We merely use the privileges that we’re given in a more logical manner.” She then formed a sadistic smile, and continued to speak, saying, “And besides, I can sense the Dark Side taint in you. You’ve only just recovered from its insidious pull, haven’t you? What would your dear old dad think of you if he saw you now?” 

 

“How dare you, you selfish bitch!” Arden furiously shouted, outraged at how several of Sidious’s servants would dare to bring up several of her friend’s touchy subjects. She then countered back by saying, “All that you guys do is act like a lot of spoiled kids that kill anyone who gets in your way, and I know what I’m talking about, because I was just like you once. Everything that A’Sharad did, on the other hand, was to protect people, in one way or another, be it the Tusken Raiders, Jedi, or citizens of the galaxy.”

 

“And look how that worked out, traitor.” Lucius sadistically said. “You two chose to return to a dead order in order to relive your glory days, and it’ll get you killed by us.”

 

“Not if we have anything to say about it, you demented _sleemos_!” Ahsoka suddenly shouted as she, Tau, and Viridian made their entrance into the simmering showdown, making the odds even between the ten adversaries.

 

“Well, well, well. Look what the ronto dragged in: the washed-out apprentice of Skywalker, the would-be usurper of our glorious emperor, and an emotional Jedi Knight. How ever will we survive this battle?” Ja’ce sarcastically said to his fellow Dark Siders, who, aside from the ever-serious Jeng, laughed at the Zabrak’s joke.

 

“Well, glad that you can find humor before your demises.” Tau grimly said, knowing that Vader was very close, and was either waiting for the right opportunity to ambush the five Shadow Alliance members, was waiting for them to deal with a set of potential rivals, or was currently engaged on another front.

 

With that, Jeng, with his authority as an Emperor’s Hand, said to the descendant of Darth Sidious, “Enough talk! Our master wants you alive, Tau Palpatine. Surrender now or we will destroy your loved ones, and take you by force.”

 

“Nice try, Droga, but I have no plans on surrendering to the likes of you. If Sidious wants me to surrender, he’ll have to come down here himself, and beat me in battle.” Tau said before he had an idea on how to throw this fanatical servant of Sidious off-balance, and formed a victorious smile on his face as he jokingly asked, “Oh, wait, he can’t do that, because we outmaneuvered him yet again, and he had to leave the system to receive medical help? Isn’t that right?”

 

Jeng then lost all control at how Tau held his own flesh-and-blood in such low regard, and wildly charged right at him and A’Sharad, which the two Jedi were easily able to sidestep. Right then, with both of their lightsabers active and precision swipes, they bisected the Emperor’s Hand into three different parts, leaving the four Inquisitors shocked at how easily their leader fell to enemies that should have been ripped apart by the superior power of the Dark Side.

 

With the realization that they were now outmatched and outnumbered, the four Inquisitors prepared to fall back to superior ground, only to stop dead in their tracks when Darth Vader authoritatively said to his four minions. “If any of you so much as take one step away from the battle, they will answer to me, and the consequences will be fatal.”

 

That made the four Inquisitors rally to their master, and formed ranks once again.

 

Ahsoka, in an effort to get through to her former master, imploringly said to the man who used to be Anakin Skywalker, “Anakin, I know that you’re hurting, but lashing out at everyone for your own sins won’t bring back Padmé, or undo the blood that you’ve spilt for Sidious. Can’t you see that you’re just on a path of self-destruction? Let us help you.” At the mention of Anakin’s name, the four Inquisitors looked at their leader in shock at the realization that one of the two Dark Lords of the Sith was the former Chosen One.

 

“You can help, Ahsoka Tano, by surrendering to me, and telling me where the rest of the Jedi and their collaborators are. I will never return to the weakness of the Jedi, and nothing that you will say or do can change your mind from the path that I’m on.”

 

A’Sharad, livid over Anakin’s lack of personal accountability for his transgressions, vigorously said to the fallen Jedi, “You disgrace everyone that ever helped you, Anakin! Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, your own mother. They all loved you so much, and you trample on their love with your senseless hatred. We will bring you to justice for your crimes, no matter what becomes of us.”

 

“Then the four of you will die like the traitors that you are.” Vader simply replied to the former Tusken Raider. He then activated his lightsaber, and said in the form of a command to the four Inquisitors, “Attack.”

 

With that, while chaos reigned around the ten people, the battle between them began in earnest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends the second chapter of the Siege of Lah’mu. The death of Jeng Droga, the beginning of the infiltration of the Demolisher, and the activation of the Shadowfeed network, will all play a role in the rest of the Siege. Don’t worry, I’ll use the other characters that I’ve compiled into the Lah’mu Summit, that’s a promise. I won’t let this opportunity to go to waste. And, I owe you all some explanations. First off, the uncharacteristic behavior of Tarkin is due to the influence of T’Ra Saa’s Battle Meditation, and it will make the Imperials pay dearly for Tarkin’s folly. And, the Shadow Alliance will have many other operations going in the Siege of Lah’mu, and each of them will be quite epic. So, I promise that the next chapter will be just as amazing as this one, and will escalate the conflict quite a bit. One more thing, sorry for including “Shadow Of War”, but I felt that it was necessary to portray the conflict that was raging on around Tau and the others. Well, I guess that’s it for the day of May 19, 2018. I’d better get this chapter posted, and work on the next time tomorrow, after I come home from work, of course. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	50. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, fellow Star Wars enthusiasts! How are you doing on the warm day of May 20, 2018? I’m doing well, as I’ve got a few hours before I have to go to work for tonight, so I’ll spend some time to write my next chapter. Oh, before I forget, I’ve made some good progress in Dragon Age: Origins: Ultimate Edition over the last couple of days. I’ve put Bhelen on the Dwarven throne, sided with Caridin in destroying the Anvil of the Void, and taken Shale to see Cadash Thaig, so my Gamerscore has gone up a significant amount. Now I just have to recruit the Dalish Elves, and I’ll be ready for the Landsmeet to begin. Well, the Siege of Lah’mu is really kicking into high gear, and it’ll only get even tougher as it progresses onward. So, I’d better get to writing. Oh, fair warning, this chapter will have a huge surprise in the form of a certain bounty hunter. Well, I’ve said enough as it is. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me. 
> 
> (May 21, 2018 Addendum.) Hey, everyone. Sorry for adding an addendum, but I have some things to discuss with you that may impede my current hours of availability to write. First off, as you know, summer is staring up, and I’ll be working extra hours at my movie theater throughout the summer in order to pick up some extra cash. Second, and this is more important of the two, I’ll be busy through the next few days or so as I complete my required steps for registering for my college classes for the fall semester. I apologize if my updates are slower than I like, but school and my job have to come first. Oh, before I forget, I just found out that DaWitcher is back from his tour of duty in the military. I’m glad that he’s safe, and that he’s back home with his family. Well, that’s it for this addendum. I’d better get back to writing.

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_Within the_ Imperial _-class Star Destroyer_ Devastator

_Within the Security Center_

 

Daniel, along with the infiltration team that was comprised of Asajj, Vega, Tholme, the Dark Woman, Luxum, Illum, Jax and his crew, Doom, Jet, Coric,Teams RWBY, CNME, and DRAV, and several teams of mixed Shadow Alliance forces, were quickly making their way throughout Darth Vader’s flagship.

 

After allowing each of their five shuttles to be captured in a tractor beam by the Star Destroyers by broadcasting a plea to surrender in exchange for vital Shadow Alliance secrets, and pulled onboard the main hangar, they made quick work of the security teams that were assigned to take them into custody. Once the hangar was secure, the team headed to the security center in order to turn any defenses that Vader had installed onboard his flagship against the Imperials.

 

As I-Five quickly plugged into the Imperial network, and set to work on deactivating the Star Destroyer’s internal defenses, Daniel and Asajj went over the plan with the rest of their teammates.

 

“All right. You all remember the plan, right?” Daniel rhetorically asked before he continued to speak, saying, “While we run interference across the _Devastator_ , Asajj, Jax, and Cinder’s teams will head to the bridge in order to take control of the ship, as well as purge the ship of all enemies onboard. Any questions?”

 

After everyone shook their heads to signify that they were ready for the mission to progress, Daniel said, “No? Excellent. Then, let’s get started.”

 

A handful of seconds later, I-Five disconnected from the Imperial Network, and said to his comrades, “Well, the defenses have been commandeered, and will aide us as we head to our destinations. Still, I would exercise caution as we proceed, as there’s no telling what other traps Vader might have in store for us onboard his personal Star Destroyer.”

 

“Good call, I-Five. We can’t afford to lose anyone here, especially with the Sith here in full force.” Cinder said in courtesy, but Asajj could sense a small ting of insincerity coming from her, but from what, she couldn’t yet say.

 

Nevertheless, she made a note to keep an eye on the team leader of Team CNME, as her instincts rarely failed her.

 

Not even a minute later, Asajj, Tholme, Luxum, Jax, Magash, I-Five, Cinder, Cinder, Emerald Sustrai, Mercury Black, and Neopolitan began to make their way to the bridge, while the other teams went to take control of the _Devastator_ ’s weapons, engines, and life-support systems. 

 

_Back on Lah’mu_

_Within the CIS Camp_

TK-2224 was incensed at the sight of the Nimbus Commandos being present at the battle here, as he remembered the thousands of his brothers that were slaughtered at their world on Jabiim back in the second year of the Clone War, before he was deployed. He could hardly believe that Rex and the others would willingly side with these butchers after all of the Republic lives and resources that they had claimed, and hoped that the planet was stripped of all of its minerals, and then scorched into oblivion soon so that all of the traitors on the world were burned alive for their treachery. 

 

It took Kravous’s incessant badgering to get him to return to reality, and the Iridonian bounty hunter then said, “Get a grip, Cody. We’ve got a mission to complete, and Bane’s picked up Gallies’s location. We need to get moving before we’re seen, or we’re dead.”

 

“Fine. As long as I get to kill some traitors soon.” Cody viciously replied, pleasing the bloodthirsty cultist with how eager Cody was to kill for the Empire.

 

*

 

“Cody and the bounty hunters are coming.” Ventis said to Rex, Jesse, Fordo, and Boil, the latter of which was informed of Cody’s arrival in order to try to convince him to join the Shadow Alliance, as the Jedi Apprentice got up from his meditation for the battle to come.

 

“Good. All of this waiting is really getting on my nerves when we could be taking the fight to the Sith and their attack dogs.” Fordo eagerly said as he drew his blaster pistols in preparation for facing Vader’s agents, and get this pointless skirmish over with.

 

“I know what you mean, Fordo.” Boil said, his heart racing a mile a minute at the prospect of facing his former commanding officer in war, as he once looked up to the 212thClone Marshal Commander.

 

“Hey! That’s enough small talk. They’re here.” Rex grimly said, getting everyone’s attention as they saw a landspeeder approaching them from the northwest. Soon enough, the forms of a clone of Jango Fett that could only by Cody, a blue Duros bounty hunter with a ridiculous hat on that was a trademark of Cad Bane, and a Zabrak in the armor of the legendary Iridonian cult of bounty hunters came into focus. Each Shadow Alliance member then drew their weapons in preparation for the battle to come.

 

“So, how do you want to handle this, Captain?” Ventis asked Rex, who was staring daggers at his former brother and comrade underneath his helmet.

 

“You, Jesse, and Fordo take on the bounty hunters, while Boil and I try to talk some sense into Cody.” Rex whispered as he removed his helmet to Cody, who only intensified his hateful glare at the perceived traitors in his eyes.

 

“No Ventress?” Kravous disappointedly shouted before he sighed, and said, “Shame. I was hoping to get more Jedi and their collaborators besides you, Gallies.”

 

“My name is Ventis Uriel, Iridonian. I ask that you turn back now, or risk your deaths.” Ventis replied, not happy of being called by the Dark Jedi’s name.

 

“Not a chance, traitor. Lord Vader’s paying us a handsome sum of credits for your death, and we’re gonna finish what we started.” Cad said in between chuckles at the former Inquisitor’s naïveté.

 

“Cody, how can you stand by Skywalker and the Empire after all that they’ve done?!?” Boil horrifically said to his former commander, before continuing his attempt to save his brother and friend, saying, “He’s enslaved entire planets, murdered countless innocents, and even butchered _children_ , for _kriff_ ’s sake! It goes against everything that we stood for in the GAR! Waxer would be ashamed and disgusted with you if he saw what you’ve become.”

 

“How dare you, you miserable _di’kut_?” Cody snarled out, disgusted with how far he believed Boil and Rex had fallen from their positions in the Clone War, all over misplaced sentiment and irrelevant loyalties. “The Jedi used us from the start, all for their uncontrollable lust for power and status! They orchestrated the Clone War, created both the GAR and CIS alongside Dooku, and pitted the galaxy against itself in order to take over the galaxy, and it was only due to the Emperor’s brilliance that I’m still alive to suffer from this betrayal by all of you!”

 

“No, brother. The Jedi didn’t put the control chips in our heads that forced almost every Clone to follow that demented Order Sixty-Six without question, nor did they manipulate the galaxy’s turmoil for their own ends. All of that can be laid at the feet of the Emperor and his apprentices, including Skywalker, who is now serving Sidious as Darth Vader, his third Sith apprentice after Maul and Dooku” Rex sadly replied, saddened over how far gone into darkness that his friend seemed to be after the Clone War ended.

 

“I see that you’ve all succumbed to the Jedi’s lies and deceits, _aruetii_. So be it. I wish that it didn’t have to come to this, but you leave me no choice. You will all die for the good of the Empire, as Lord Vader demands all of your deaths, and his orders will be carried out to the letter.” Cody disappointingly said to his former best friend, and took out his customized blaster rifle in order to take aim at the five traitors.

 

“Don’t do this, Sir.” Boil pleadingly said, not wanting to lose another friend after Waxer died due to treachery on Umbara.

 

“Sorry, Boil, but I’m done listening to you. I gave you a chance to do the right thing, and you rejected it out of outdated loyalties and sentiment. Now, you all can rot in the void like the-” Cody dismissively said before he heard a familiar ship’s engines enter the area, and the eight fighters turned their heads to see an unexpected sight: the _Slave I_ , _Firespray_ -31-class patrol and attack craft that was once the personal ship of the last _Mand’alor_ of the True Mandalorians, Jango Fett, and now belonged to his genetic clone, Boba Fett.

 

“What the-? What’s he doing here?!?” Ventis said in disbelief, while the four of his allies, as well as the Imperial agents, were even more confused than he was, and wondered just what Boba Fett was doing on this battlefield.

 

“Did you know that Fett was coming here, Bane?” Kravous curiously inquired, wondering if they had unknown reinforcements coming from Vader.

 

“I’m as much in the dark as you, Kravous, which means we gotta expect anything.” Cad said, for once, not holding all of the answers regarding the battle at hand.

 

“In a matter of moments, the Slave I hovered just above the ground long enough to drop off three of its occupants: the human clone Boba Fett, the Kyuzo male bounty hunter Embo, and the Mandalorian and former Death Watch member Hudu Shiv. Once they exited the ship, the Slave I made its way into Lah’mu’s atmosphere.

 

“Fett. What are you doing here? Lord Vader hired us for this job.” Cad suspiciously said, beginning to put the pieces together in his cunning mind over his lack of progress on his previous mission on Lah’mu.

 

“I’m not here for Vader, Bane.” Boba said as he and his two comrades leveled their blasters at the Imperials, then saying, “I’m here to help out my client keep Ventis safe, and then help them drive the Imperials back from Lah’mu.”

 

Everyone, aside from Ventis, Embo, and Hudu, dropped their jaws at this declaration, as Boba was, like his father, supposed to be a staunch enemy of the Jedi after Mace Windu decapitated Jango at the First Battle of Geonosis.

 

Cad was the first to recover, and accusingly said, “So, you’re the ones that impeded my mission on Remnant to track down Daniel, then.”

 

[Took you long enough to figure that out, Bane.] Embo insultingly said in his native tongue to his rival.

 

“You miserable sellouts!” Kravous hatefully spat out to the three bounty hunters, before he continued, saying to Boba, “What price did the Jedi pay you to make you forget that they murdered your father?!?”

 

“This isn’t about money, it’s about the crimes that the Sith and their servants have done, and what they plan to do to the galaxy if they aren’t stopped.” Boba calmly replied as he readied his rifle for the inevitable battle to come.

 

He then said, “Besides, there are worse threats out there than the Sith, and it’ll take a united galaxy to stop them, with the Jedi at the helm.”

 

“You’re a disgrace to your father’s memory, and to the _Mando’ade_ , you miserable _dar’manda_.” Cody cursed in Mando’a to Boba.

 

“Believe what you want, Cody. It won’t change the truth.” Boba dismissively said to the Stormtrooper.

 

“Okay, are we going to get down to the fight, or are we just going to stand here talking all day while a battle rages all around us?” Hudu impatiently asked, eager to take out these three Imperials and fight alongside his fellow Mandalorians against the Imperials.

 

“What he said.” Fordo emotionlessly said as he took aim at the Imperial clone, and fired several blaster bolts at Cody, who managed to dodge all but one of them, which grazed his torso.

 

As Cody grunted from the excruciating pain while struggling to get back up, Rex, Jesse, and Boil looked at Fordo as if he had just murdered Cody. Fordo then reply by saying, “What? I wasn’t aiming to kill. Besides, now he’s out of the fight, and only Bane and Kravous are left to deal with.”

 

With that, Rex and Boil went to subdue the wounded Cody, and the rest of the Shadow Alliance began a fight with Cad and Kravous.

 

Just as Boil attempted to get Cody up on his feet, Cody pulled a blaster pistol on Boil, and fired at direct range, hitting the Ghost Company trooper in the left shoulder, and making him scream in agony from the ultimate betrayal from his former commanding officer before he fell to the ground from the pain.

 

“BOIL!!!” Rex screamed as he grabbed Cody’s wrist, and quickly snapped the bone, making the Stormtrooper drop the blaster pistol. He then did a sideswipe kick, knocking Cody to the ground, allowing Rex to get in several punches on Cody’s body, taking the breath out of him.

 

As he repeatedly punched Cody to the ground, he snarled at the increasingly bloodied man, “YOU TRAITOR!!! He was you comrade, your brother, and you deliberately murdered him just for following his conscience, all in the name of so-called duty for selfish bastards like Sidious and Vader! You’re not a soldier; you’re a _karking_ murderer, and a true _dar’manda_!”

 

After regaining control of his senses, he panted in disgust and sorrow for the loss of a good friend, and, once he caught his breath, solemnly said, “CC-2224, you are under arrest for attempted murder of your Jedi General, murder of a Shadow Alliance trooper, and for your service to Darth Vader. May Iluvatar have mercy on your soul, for you’ll get none from any of our other brothers.”

 

“N-no! I won’t let you take me for interrogation, 7567.” Cody firmly replied, fishing around in his mouth for the pill that Vader gave him in the event that this happened.

 

“I’ll take my knowledge of Lord Vader’s operations to my grave, traitor, and wait to mock you when you die at his hands.” He finally found the cyanide pill, and crunched down hard on it, spilling its poisonous contents into his mouth.

 

As foam began to form in Cody’s mouth, Rex horrifically realized that his former friend had just signed his own death warrant with that action, and said, “Cody… WHY?!?”

 

“Long… live… the Empire, _dar’manda_.” Cody gurgled out as foam poured out of his mouth, and the Imperial Stormtrooper commander breathed his last breath, leaving a devastated Rex alone to silently weep over the loss of two of his clone brothers due to the Empire’s lies and warmongering.

 

As Rex felt a searing rage in his heart for what Vader and Sidious did to Cody and so many of his brothers, he got up to help the rest of his allies deal with Cad and Kravous.

 

Fortunately for him, as he went to close Boil’s eyes, he heard faint breathing from the Ghost Company trooper, and, upon further examination, the blast that should have killed Boil only damaged the nerves in his shoulder, and knocked him out from the pain that he was experiencing.

 

“Boil! Stay with me, brother! I’m gonna get you out of here.” Rex desperately said before he activated his armor’s comlink, and said to Jesse, “Jesse! Cody’s dead, and Boil’s down! I’m taking him to Numa and the others. Can you hold off Bane and Kravous until I get back?”

 

“I see.” Jesse sadly said, before he perked up, and said, “Don’t worry about us, Rex. We can handle these two old windbags. Just get Boil to safety.”

 

“Understood. Thank you, brother.” Rex gratefully said to Jesse as he grabbed Boil, slung him over his shoulders, and brought him to the Imperials’ landspeeder, and made off with it in order to get him to Numa, Kes, Vesse, and Jarael in order to save his life.

 

*

 

“HEY! They’re making off with our ride, Bane!” Kravous shouted, outraged that Rex would have the nerve to steal their personal transport in the middle of a battle.

 

“Yes, I see that, you idiot. Just focus on the battle at hand. Then we can deal with Rex and his Senatorial allies.” Bane scolded his partner for being distracted by a petty theft, and returned his focus to facing off against Boba, Embo, and Ventis.

 

[You wanna give up now, Bane? You’re outnumbered and outmatched, and you’ve lost your escape route.] Embo scathingly asked his bounty hunter rival.

 

“You of all people should know by now, Embo. I never quit a contract.” Bane simply retorted as he activated his flamethrower, and aimed it at his three opponents.

 

Fortunately for the Shadow Alliance members, Ventis ran in front of them, and used his connection to the Force to block the flames from reaching anyone, and then clenched his hadn into a fist, crushing the miniature flamethrower, and burning a small part of the Duros’s flesh in his left arm. 

 

“AGH!! DAMNED JEDI!! Ruining my quality equipment, and burning my arm.” Cad cursed as he threw away the destroyed flamethrower with his good arm, and firing at the Jedi with a flechette launcher, releasing miniature projectiles that forced Ventis on the defensive, and grazing the Uriel in his legs, causing him to fall head first into the ground in pain.

 

As Cad prepared to finish the job and knock another Jedi off of the Empire’s most-wanted list, only to hear a whistling sound that made Bane remember his other two opponents, and narrowly evaded the Kyuzo’s helmet/hat that was aimed at the Duros’s head.

 

What he didn’t evade, however, was the fibrocord whip of Boba Fett, who managed to use it to drag away Cad from Ventis, allowing both Boba and Embo to get in some good blows at Bane before he used his jetboots to get out of the scuffle, and see that Kravous was losing against the Jesse, Fordo, and Hudu. Realizing that the battle was lost, Bane immediately called in air support from a nearby trio of Imperial ARC-170 Starfighters.

 

Once the starfighters made it to the bounty hunters’ position, Bane called out to Kravous, “Let’s get the _kriff_ out of here! We’re outnumbered and wounded.”

 

“Can’t believe that I’m agreeing with you on this.” Kravous muttered as he followed Bane to the free ARC-170, and they took off with their starfighter escorts.

 

Embo then said to Bane and Hudu, [Shoot them down before they get away!]

 

“Don’t have to tell us twice.” Boba said as the two Mandalorians fired their missiles at the lead ARC-170, only for the two trailing ARC-170s to shoot one of the missiles, and the second one hit the right starfighter right in its engines, causing a chain reaction that triggered its explosion, allowing the two remaining Imperial ships to make their escape. 

 

“Well, that could have gone better.” Jesse said with a false sense of humor, saddened over Cody’s suicide in order to protect the likes of Vader and the Emperor, before he turned to face the three bounty hunters, and spitefully said, “What the osik are you three doing here? I thought that you’d be happy to see the last remnants of the Jedi and the Republic be extinguished here.”

 

“You can thank my son for their timely arrival, Jesse.” Ventis said as he went up to Embo, and gripped the Kyuzo’s hand in a handshake of gratitude, which the bounty hunter reciprocated.

 

Ventis then continued his explanation, saying, “Daniel used Gallies’s resources to keep these guys on retainer, and, once Tau told them of the original future, they signed on as… let’s just say part-time members, as they’ve gotta make money somehow. My son even gave Boba’s crew a fortified home on Remnant, and he, his wife, daughter, and everyone else in their crew have been doing well ever since.”

 

“Wait a minute. Fett, YOU’RE MARRIED, AND HAVE A KID?!?” Fordo said in utter shock, as he never would have thought that the bounty hunter was the type to settle down with a girl, especially have a child with someone.

 

Fordo then smirked beneath his helmet, and said to Boba, “This wife of yours must be one hell of a fighter for you to marry her.”

 

“That she is, trooper. That she is. You can meet her and after we kick the Imps in their _shebs_.” Boba said, hoping that Sintas and Ailyn Vel were still alive and fighting onboard the _Slave I_.

 

_Meanwhile, Within the Imperial Forward Position On Lah’mu_

 

Wilhuff was greatly displeased at the slow pace of the Imperial invasion of Lah’mu, as the Shadow Alliance had proven to be far more resilient and well-coordinated than he had first anticipated, and had enacted heavy casualties out of the first two waves of Imperial soldiers that had landed on the planet, while suffering minimal losses on their side.

 

To make matters worse for the Imperials within the Lah’mu System, he was just receiving a report from the _Devastator_ , _Obliterator_ , and _Sovereign_ that several teams of Jedi and their allies had infiltrated each of the Star Destroyers, and were making significant headway in capturing the bridge and other essential systems within the ship.

 

As greater amounts of bad news continued to pile on the stressed mind of the Grand Moff, he heard the voice of his assigned Emperor’s Hand, the former Jedi and Ruling Council Member Sarcev Quest, who said, “Grand Moff, I sense several intruders nearing our position. We should fall back to the command center, and reassess our position from there.”

 

“Are these intruders Jedi?” Tarkin asked, while wondering just how any member of the Shadow Alliance could sneak past his forces’ defenses so easily.

 

“Several. I can sense two Iron Knights, and seven others whose presences I don’t recognize, but one of them is exceptionally well in stealth, as it was almost impossible for me to detect their presence.” Sarcev gravely said, before ordering to Tarkin’s personal aide, “Prepare our shuttle for departure, Lieutenant Iresso.”

 

“Yes, Councilman.” The tanned-skin lieutenant said to the Emperor’s Hand before he went to prepare the Grand Moff’s personal shuttle for departure.

 

“Surely our forces can deal with a handful of Jedi and their two minions.” Tarkin dismissively said, just before he heard the sounds of combat appear less than half a kilometer away from their positon.

 

“On second thought, it wouldn’t hurt to regroup from a secure position.” Tarkin quickly added, not wanting to die at the hands of traitors, but vowing to return to enact a bloody vengeance against the Jedi and their compatriots for causing such strife across the galaxy.

 

_Five Minutes Later_

 

“Jedi Morne! Thy senses that our quarry is escaping to safer territory.” Dragite urgently said to Celeste Morne, one of the two leaders of the strike force that was assigned with capturing Grand Moff Tarkin.

 

“I see that, Dragite. This changes things considerably.” Celeste said as she turned to face Saw, the other leader of the strike force, and told him, “Well, our simple capture mission has turned into an infiltration mission of the Imperial command center.”

 

“Yes, we see that, Jedi Morne.” Saw said to the four-thousand year-old Jedi Master, before he said, “This mission just got a whole lot more fun.”

 

“I would not call capturing a high-ranking servant of the Sith to be a fun mission.” Legolas said as he scolded the Partisan leader.

 

“Regardless, our mission remains the same: Capture Grand Moff Tarkin, and eliminate Sarcev Quest.” Xey said, putting an end to any potential arguments.

 

“Agreed.” Kal said as he noticed three _Sentinel_ -class Landing Craft arriving at their positon.

 

Darman then said, “Well, looks like Tarkin likes throwing men at us. I say that we take care of the men on them, and use them to get a free ride to the Imperial command center. Who’s with me?”

 

“I am.” Celebion said to the young Mandalorian, with everyone else voicing their agreement to the plan, and prepared to face the fifty Stormtroopers that debarked from their respective landing craft.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I can’t believe that I wrote such a heart-wrenching chapter in just three days! I’m sorry for killing off Cody in this chapter, but I can’t have everyone survive the saga, and I wanted to display the corrupting influence that blind loyalty to anyone can do to someone, especially someone like Sidious. Don’t worry, Boil will survive Cody’s attack, as I won’t have him die before he and Numa go through many battles together. So, the battle’s going well for our heroes, as Cad Bane and Kravous have been driven back by Boba Fett and his crew of bounty hunters, of all people. As for their appearance, it was from Squasher’s future works in his saga, and I’ll make sure to get his permission for this reveal before publishing it. But, even if the heroes survive the Siege of Lah’mu, they’ll have their work cut out for them when Sidious puts even more plans into motion. And, a lot of things will be revealed in the chapters to come that will tie in with more of Squasher’s perfect AU saga, and I can’t wait to show them to you all. So, how are you all doing on May 22, 2018? I’m doing well, as I’ve almost made it through the Landsmeet in Dragon Age: Origins: Ultimate Edition, and I’ve made progress on my Ronald Reagan book. Soon, I can get started on my first Warhammer 40,000 book. I just have to decide what book to start on, as I’ve got five to choose from. Oh, and speaking of Ronald Reagan, I bought Three Days in Moscow yesterday at Costco, and it looks very promising. Well, I guess that that’s it for tonight. I’d better get this chapter ready for publishing. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	51. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, my fellow Star Wars devotees. How are you doing on this warm day of May 23, 2018? I’m doing well, as I’ve learned that I don’t have to work today, which is good, as it frees up time for me to write my latest chapter. So, I wanted to talk to you guys about nostalgic cartoons for a little bit, as I watched the introduction to Danny Phantom a little while ago, and it made me miserable to know how modern cartoons have gone so far downhill. Why can’t the good shows last longer on Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Disney Channel, and have to be replaced with shows that are subpar to the shows of the late 1990s, 2000s, and early 2010s? I tell you, whoever’s in charge of each of these TV networks are on the receiving end of my rage for creating such ridiculous shows such as Breadwinners, The Amazing World of Gumball, and Sanjay and Craig. Anywho, are you guys ready for more action as the Siege of Lah’mu continues, because I know that I am, and I’m just eager for what I come up with next. Speaking of the Siege of Lah’mu, I’m surprised that I haven’t heard back from anyone over Cody’s suicide, or Boba Fett and his family and crew being on the Shadow Alliance’s side, as those were two huge milestones for the saga that Squasher and I are creating. Well, on with the story!
> 
> (7:32 P.M. Addendum.) Good evening, everyone. How’s everyone doing tonight? I’m doing well, as I’ve installed four original Xbox Star Wars games on my Xbox One. Thank you, Backwards Compatibility. Anyway, the games are Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Knights of the Old Republic, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, and Republic Commando. Oh, I can’t wait to replay KOTOR I and II, and play Jedi Academy and Republic Commando, as those four games are jewels in the Expanded Universe! Oh, and, if all goes well, I’ll order a few more books within the next couple of days. One more thing, Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us are finally going out of business with its final sale storewide, with sales from 40% to 60% off all products. That’s a real shame, as I have fond memoires of the first store from my childhood. Well, back to writing.
> 
> (May 25, 2018 Addendum.) Hey, guys, happy 41st Anniversary of Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope. So, how are you doing on this hot day? I’m alright, as I volunteered at my local help center for a few hours, went out to lunch with my mom for some pizza, and mowed my parents’ lawn. I finally have some time to write for the next two days, as I don’t have to work until the 27th. I’m currently listening to “Shinedown: Second Chance”, and let me tell you, that song is cathartic after that accursed movie, “Solo: A Star Wars Story”, came out today. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that millions of people love the movie, and that’s their business, not mine. But, what I can’t stand is how so many people don’t seem to care about the Original Expanded Universe anymore, and how this new canon continues to trample over the history of the old for Disney and Lucasfilm’s grabs for more money. It just fills me with such a black rage, that I fear offending someone if I lose control of my emotions, even for a second. I apologize if I offend anyone with my remarks, but I need to vent my feelings out in a constructive manner, otherwise I’ll go mad with anger and sadness over the loss of the EU, which was something that was dearly important to me, especially due to my lack of enthusiasm to change in general. 
> 
> Maybe I’m wrong, and millions of people still yearn for the return of the old ways, and, if so, that fills my heart with hope for the future. But, regardless, I just can’t stand how this story goes against the original origin story of Han Solo through A. C. Crispin’s trilogy, Lord rest her soul after losing her long battle with cancer ending on September 6, 2013. I can only hope and pray that one day, ONE DAY, enough Star Wars fans can rally together to convince the people in charge of Star Wars to bring about a renaissance of original EU content. Well , I think that I’ve ranted on long enough. Back to writing.

Ja’ce and Lucius found themselves dead on the ground, as Viridian bisected the Zabrak in two, and Arden used her enhanced strength to punch right through Lucius’s armor, and crushed all of the Pua’an’s vital organs.

 

The skirmish did not come without a cost, however, as the two Light Siders found themselves exhausted from the battle against their adversaries. Regardless, they exchanged a look of understanding, and split up, Arden to help A’Sharad deal with Prosset, and Viridian to help Tau and Ahsoka capture Darth Vader and eliminate Masana.

 

*

 

“Can you feel it Vader?” Tau forebodingly said to the Sith Lord, before he continued, saying, “Your minions are falling to us, and it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the Inquisitors fall as well. Surrender to us now, and I will promise you that all of you will receive a fair trial.” 

 

“I will never surrender to a Jedi, or anyone for that matter. I’ll take you all down before I surrender.” Vader scathingly said to the clone of Edaan Palpatine, before he had an idea, and mockingly said, “And I’ll start with your precious girlfriend.”

 

That made something within Tau snap at Vader threatening to kill the woman that he was quickly falling in love with, and he snarled, “YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!!” He then unleashed a torrent of Force Lightning in rage, which Vader found himself hard-pressed to defend against, but Masana’s lightsaber exploded from the electrical discharge, taking off one of the Dowutin’s hands as she screamed in tormenting pain from the loss of a limb.

 

This allowed Ahsoka to get in a strong roundhouse kick at her jaw, knocking out several of her teeth, as well as knocking her unconscious as she fell to the ground in a bloody heap.

 

She then smiled to herself at taking out a second Inquisitor, and turned to see a sight that made her blood curdle: Tau with golden specks in his eyes as he launched barrage after barrage at Vader. The cyborg Sith Lord was barely able to absorb the energy with his lightsaber, as several discharges from his lightsaber hit him in full force, causing him stings of pain that distracted his focus.

 

“Tau, you’ve got to remember your teachings!” Ahsoka pleadingly said to her boyfriend before she had an idea, and shouted, “REMEMBER EDAAN! What would he do if he was here right now?”

 

That snapped Tau out of his rampage, and, as his eyes returned to pure sky blue, he ended his attack on Vader, and said to the woman that he loved, “He’d get angry, but he’d never let his rage overtake him. Thank you, Ahsoka.”

 

Ahsoka then tenderly smiled at Tau, before she looked in horror as Vader prepared to strike from behind him, and shouted, “NO!!” She then unleashed all of her Force energy into a Force push that blew the unsuspecting Vader back twenty feet before he gracefully landed on his feet.

 

“You will regret interfering with my work, Ahsoka.” Vader growled out as he saw Prosset lose both of his arms to the superior dueling skills of A’Sharad and Viridian, and Arden knocked him out with her prosthetic arm, leaving the three other Light Siders to join Vader as he faced off against even greater odds now.

 

“You think that you have won this battle, but you’ve only bought a reprieve from the inevitable. I will take you all on, and kill Prosset and Masana for their incompetence when I’m done with all of you.” Vader said in denial of the danger of him losing against the Shadow Alliance.

 

“Enough talk, traitor. This is your last warning. Either surrender to us, or die.” A’Sharad solemnly said, saddened over the monster that the former Chosen One had allowed himself to be twisted into by Sidious.

 

Vader responded by gripping his lightsaber even tighter than before, and charging at the Shadow Alliance leaders with such speed that they were nearly pushed onto the ground from the force and speediness of the attack.

 

“Really, Vader. You decide to attack us after your near defeat at the Conclave of Kessel?” Tau satirically said, making Vader remember how he was nearly destroyed by the three surviving Jedi of the eight-man group before he was saved by Commander Bow and his squad, who gunned down the last of the Jedi.

 

Upon being reminded of one of his many brushes with death due to the Jedi, Vader screamed in rage, and focused the brunt of his attacks on Tau, who was finding himself hard-pressed to stay intact against the Sith apprentice’s onslaught.

 

He was so distracted by the all-consuming and venomous hatred that was focused exclusively on Tau for his smart-mouthed comments, and was distracted by Ahsoka, who leapt at him in order to slice off a portion of his mask.

 

What Ahsoka saw horrified her, as the gap in Vader’s mask revealed a Sith eye and a part of his burnt skin. He then capitalized on her disgust at what he had become by saying, “Look at me, Ahsoka. This what Obi-Wan did to me! He left me to die on Mustafar after he callously sliced off my legs and left arm, and let me be burned alive by the lava on the planet! And Tau is no different than him.”

 

Ahsoka, remembering the talks that she had with Tau after seeing his memories of the past, said in rejection of Vader’s jaundiced account of his duel with Obi-Wan, “No, Anakin. He knew that he couldn’t save you after you tried to choke Padmé for the false accusations that you threw at her, and proclaimed your allegiance to the Empire and the Dark Side, even murdering most of the Jedi on Coruscant, and the Separatist Council on Mustafar.”

 

Vader wondered how Ahsoka could know that, as she was fleeing Mandalore alongside Rex after Order Sixty-Six was initiated, and realized that she must have spoken to Obi-Wan before the Summit began, and that she and Tau knew where his former Jedi Master was located.

 

“WHERE IS OBI-WAN KENOBI?!?” Vader bellowed out to the couple, who immediately realized that, if Vader caught even one of them, then all hope was lost for the Skywalker family.

 

Acting fast in order to keep anyone from giving that vital information away, and to divert Vader’s attention away from Ahsoka and the others, Tau said, “I’m the only one who knows where Obi-Wan is, and we’d all sooner die rather than give him away to your petty vengeance.” 

 

“Then I’ll capture you, and break you myself, no matter how long it takes me.” Vader declared as he saw three squadrons of starfighters, which included seven Vulture Droids, the _Slave I_ , and _Second Chance_ , arrive to launch several missiles at the Sith Lord.

 

As he was distracted by the sudden attack, the _Second Chance_ landed, and Nagme shouted to the five Force-Sensitives, “Come on!! Get your prisoners and get here before Vader drives us back!”

 

Moving fast, Ahsoka brought the armless Prosset onto the YT-1300 freighter, while Tau and A’Sharad attempted to retrieve Masana, but she was too close to Vader to get a safe extraction, and they had to leave the unconscious Dowutin on the battlefield. Her head was then instantly vaporized by a stray laser that Vader callously deflected her way in response to her failure in losing to the Jedi.

 

The _Second Chance_ and _Slave I_ then took off, leaving a fuming Vader to emit a powerful scream in the Force at the starfighters that dared to interfere in his mission, crushing all but five of them, and forcing the rest of them to flee. The debris of the destroyed ships came crashing down all around him as he calmly called for a shuttle to come pick him up.

 

 _On the_ Second Chance

 

“Well, I see that you’ve all been busy.” Nagme jokingly said as she saw how bruised and battered each of the Force-Sensitives were, and how they managed to capture an Inquisitor amongst all of the chaos.

 

“That we have, Nagme, that we have.” Tau said before he delivered a chop to Prosset’s neck, knocking the Miraluka out cold as he fell head first onto the durasteel floor.

 

He then said to the Yuuzhan Vong, “You’ve still got the equipment that was able to restrain Master Billaba on Arda, right?”

 

“Of course I do, Tau. But, I don’t think that we’ll need it, considering how you managed to… incapacitate this man.” Nagme cautiously said, not wishing to say the word “disarmed”, considering how the man had lost both of his arms, and said, “Surely we can restrain him with one of the ysalamiri that we brought from Myrkr, and a cell that we keep for any Dark Jedi that we might capture, yes?”

 

Tau, seeing that Nagme was merely looking out for a lost soul, as she could have been considered one after she was declared a Shamed One by the Yuuzhan Vong several years ago, and not wanting to be cruel to the man, despite his transgressions, said in agreement, “That’ll work. Just be sure to give him enough sedatives to keep him out cold until we get the cell ready for him. And, he’ll be your responsibility for the duration of our time here. Understood?”

 

‘Thank you, Tau.” Nagme graciously said to her friend, and took custody of the Dark Jedi by taking him to the medbay, where Jarael would keep him unconscious until his cell was ready.

 

“Now then, have we contacted our friends outside the system?” Tau said to Arnine, getting back to the matter at hand, as he kept from revealing too much, just in case Prosset was feigning unconsciousness, or had bugs on him from Vader or Sidious.

 

The R9-series astromech droid spoke in affirmative to the question, and said that they would be on their way within the hour.

 

Arden then smiled a vicious smile, and said, “Good. It’s about time those Imps got a taste of bitter defeat.”

 

_Meanwhile, Within the Red Twins_

_Within the_ Subjugator _-class_ _heavy cruiser_ Intrepid

 

Admiral Dylan Libel was ready to unleash hell upon the Empire for their uncountable war crimes against the galaxy. What he was not ready for, however, was having command of the same type of gargantuan dreadnaught that caused so many Republic deaths during the Clone War.

 

The fleet that he was leading was composed of the _Intrepid_ , ten _Providence_ -class carrier/cruisers, four _Lucrehulk_ -class battleships, ten _Munificent_ -class frigates, twenty _Recusant_ -class destroyers, eight Yuuzhan Vong _Miid ro’ik_ , the Remnant forces of fifteen additional tank-like ships, three defecting _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, and two _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers. It would enter hyperspace any minute now, and, in thirty-six hours, decimate the Empire’s task force, showing the galaxy that the Empire wasn’t the omnipotent force that it proclaimed itself to be.

 

“Admiral!” Dylan’s aide said as he walked up to the aging human, and said, “All ships are at full readiness, and are awaiting your order to enter hyperspace.”

 

“Very good, Captain Grazzi.” Dylan gratefully replied before he spoke to all ships through the Intrepid’s communication systems, saying, “All ships, this is Admiral Libel. Commence jump to hyperspace.” 

 

With that order, each ship began to jump into hyperspace in heading to the battle in the Lah’mu System, with the Intrepid the last ship to begin the thirty-six hour journey.

 

_Two Hours Later_

_Thirty-Four Hours Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_Within the Shadow Alliance Medical Wing_

 

“How is he doing, Jarael?” Rex said as he saw the Iskalloni doctor walk out of the operation room, and breathed a sigh of relief, raising Rex’s hopes up over Boil’s condition.

 

Jarael smiled at him, and said, “He’ll need a few hours in a bacta tank in order to fully heal the damaged nerves in his shoulder, but he’ll pull through. It’s a miracle that you were able to get him to safety among all of the chaos around us.”

 

“Yeah. A miracle.” Rex said, guilty that he left his brothers and friends to face off against Kravous and Cad in order to save his brother.

 

Vesse, who walked up to Rex, gently said to him, “Don’t worry about Ventis and the others, Rex. I can sense that they’re all right, and heading our way. They’ll be here any minute. And besides, you made the right choice in choosing to save Boil’s life over pursuing vengeance.”

 

“Yeah, but I lost an old friend thanks to that _schutta_ Sidious’s lies.” Rex sadly said over having leaving Cody’s body for the planet’s elements and animals to devour it. 

 

“Take heart in the brothers that you managed to save, Rex, as you saved many of your best friends through you choosing to believe Fives’s warnings.” Vesse comfortingly said to the Clone Trooper, who took comfort from the young Tholothian/Human Jedi’s words, but still felt sorrow over begin unable to save Cody from the Sith’s lies.

 

He then saw Numa walking out of the tent, and said, “He’s awake, Rex. Kix wanted me to tell you that he can accept visitors, but not do any strenuous activities for the next couple of days.”

 

Rex breathed a sigh of relief over the good news of his brother’s quick recovery, and said in gratitude to the Twi’lek, “Thanks, Numa.”

 

He then walked in to see Kix, who then nodded at the former Five-Oh-First Clone Trooper, and said, “Sorry to cut this short, Rex, but Niwen and Kes need me to help out some Elves that got injured in an ambush against Bly and his legion.”

 

“You’re kidding; Bly’s still working for the Empire after Felucia?” Rex incredulously said, not wanting to believe that any more of his friends would serve the despotic Emperor, and not willing to fight and kill another of his brothers.

 

“He and the bulk of his corps, I’m afraid.” Boil said as he put down a datapad that he was reading, and said, “Thanks for bringing me here, brother.”

 

“Don’t mention it, Boil. I wasn’t planning on losing another brother on my watch.” Rex said with a wave of his hand, not willing to allow Boil to shower him in praise when he couldn’t even save Cody from the darkness that swallowed him whole.

 

“Yeah, I heard.” Boil said, before he angrily said in-between tears of agony, “ _Kriff_ , Rex, how could Cody have been so blind?!? After everything that the Jedi did for us and the Republic during the War, everyone bought into Sidious’s lies and propaganda, and it turned him into a rampaging fanatic.” 

 

“That’s how he operates, Boil. It’s up to us to honor the real Cody, and make sure that no one else gets to be manipulated by Sidious, or anyone else, for that matter.”  Rex staunchly said, earning a fervent nod from the Ghost Company trooper before the Torrent Company trooper continued, saying, “I’d better get back to the front, ‘cause there’s a lot of Imps that need to be stopped. Stay safe, brother.”

 

With that, he left the tent, only to find Tau, Ahsoka, Nagme, Fordo, Boba, and a woman with several small facial tattoos talk to Jarael, with the Iskalloni listening intently, and nodding in reply once Tau finished talking.

 

Rex, seeing a need to catch up on what was going on, said, “Something I can help you guys with?”

 

Ahsoka, seeing that Rex was about, looked at her old friend as if she had seen a ghost, which had him worried before a realization hit him, and he said to the Togruta woman, “You fought Vader, didn’t you?”

 

“Yes. We did. He wasn’t willing to talk with us. His only concern was dealing with us ‘traitors’.” Ahsoka sadly said, before she felt Tau’s hand of comfort on her shoulder, and she regained her inner fire, saying, “We’ve captured an Inquisitor by the name of Prosset Dibs, and are preparing to transfer him to a Dreadnaught that we’ve customized into a prison for any rogue Force-Sensitives that we may capture.”

 

“Dibs? I know that name.” Rex said in disbelief, recalling a report that a Jedi attacked Mace Windu on Hissrich just after the Jedi Order took up the role as generals in the Grand Army of the Republic a month after the Clone War began. He then said, “Guess Sidious and Vader took advantage of his weakness to turn him into their own weapon. Good work capturing him.”

 

“Thanks. At least Sidious is down an Emperor’s Hand and several Inquisitors, because the rest of them are all dead.” Tau said, earning a nod of approval from Boba , Fordo, and Rex.

 

“Well, I’d say that this battle’s going according to plan.” Rex satisfyingly said, before he gravely said, “Of course, that likely means that something horrible is going to occur later on.”

 

“Hey, no plan succeeds first contact with the enemy. It’s how we respond to the change that matters.” The female bounty hunter said.

 

“True enough, miss…?” Rex politely asked, hoping that she’d tell him her name so that he could have a proper conversation with her.

 

“Tell you what, Rex, we survive this Siege, and we’ll have all the time in the galaxy for proper introductions afterwards.” The woman proposed, with everyone nodding their heads in agreement, and they headed to the _Second Chance_ and _Slave I_ in order to return to the battle against the Empire.

 

_Three Hours Later_

_Thirty-One Hours Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_Onboard the_ Imperial _-class Star Destroyer_ Devastator

 _Within the_ Devastator _’s Engine Room_

 

“This is Squad Leader Valo. The engine room is secure. All squads report in.” Daniel said into his comlink as he kept a keen eye on the ship’s technicians, who looked as if they were about to wet himself on the spot for failing to keep the intruders off of Darth Vader’s flagship.

 

“ _All three teams have taken control of the command bridge, no casualties on our end._ ” Assaj said.

 

“ _The ship’s weapons systems have been hacked, and are awaiting our orders._ ” I-Five enthusiastically said in the background, his tone carrying an obvious eagerness to deal out death and destruction to the enemy.

 

“ _The ship’s med-bay has been captured, no losses here._ ” Rarok said, earning a sigh of relief from Daniel, glad to hear that the Force-Sensitive Mandalorian’s team was alive and well.

 

“ _The reactor chamber is under our control, and has suffered no damage._ ” The Dark Woman said, and then added, “ _Team RWBY did quite well in clearing out the Imperials here._ ”

 

One after another, the other teams reported that they had captured the essential systems of the Star Destroyer, with each team suffering minimal to no losses, which lifted a burden off of Daniel’s heart over the fear of losing any of his comrades to the enemy.

 

Unfortunately, that meant that he had to give a heart-wrenching order that would result in the death of nearly every Imperial on the ship, and the fear of being overwhelmed by so many deaths tugged at his mind.

 

Vega, sensing what his childhood friend was going through, sympathetically said to him, “Daniel, don’t worry, you’re not alone in this. And besides, we’ve taken out at least as many enemies during our battles in the Unknown Regions, often in far worse ways.”

 

“Yeah, but…” Daniel hesitatingly said before he found himself being turned to face Vega, who looked intently at him, which made Daniel feel uncomfortable at whatever his best friend planned to do next.

 

“Daniel,” Vega began, “I’ll mourn for the dead once the battle’s over, but we need to do this. Our friends all across the system, and your family, are counting on us to win this fight in order to inspire a rebellion. And, we need to carry out our mission if we’re going to take out as many of Sidious’s best-ranking servants as we can before we deal with him.” 

 

“You’re right, Vega.” Daniel said in acceptance of Vega’s reasoning, before he smiled proudly at how far Vega had come as a leader, and asked him, “When did you get to be so wise?”

 

“I had good friends to keep me grounded.” Vega flippantly said, as he made sure that the engine room’s air supply would be connected to the _Devastator_ ’s command bridge for the approaching purge.

 

Just as they prepared to lock the engine room, they received an unexpected visitor: Asajj Ventress, with a look of pure urgency on her face as she locked the doors to the engine room, and both Jedi could sense the worry emanating from her.

 

Daniel, wondering just what could have the feared assassin nervous in such a degree, said, “Asajj, what’s wrong?”

 

“Deactivate your comlinks. _Now_.” Ventress whispered, which the two Jedi quickly did, trusting their difficult-to-make friend. Once they did so, the reformed Sith Acolyte said, “I have a new lead on Amber’s attacker.”

 

Daniel, now listening with acute accuracy with what Asajj had to say next, as he felt his heartbeat accelerate to unhealthy heights, nervously said, “Go on.” 

 

“During the charge to the bridge, Cinder and her team got separated from the rest of us when we were ambushed by three squads of Death Troopers in the ship’s armory. Once we dealt with them, I felt an agonizing presence in the Force, and went with Tholme to investigate. What we saw in one of the armory’s holds made me come here after Tholme gave an excuse that allowed me to slip away from the group.” Asajj then drew in a breath of anxiety, for she knew that what she said could doom a person’s life with her next words.

 

“I saw her using the same freezing and fireball techniques that Amber was proficient with before she was attacked. And, I saw her irises glow with half the strength that Amber had.” Asajj concernedly said, making Daniel realize that, if Asajj was accurate in her claims, Cinder was likely the one who tried to take all of Amber’s powers for herself.

 

“Are you absolutely sure about this, Asajj?” Daniel said, not wanting to make a mistake when he brought this claim to Ozpin after the Shadow Alliance left Lah’mu.

 

“Positive.” Asajj confirmed, before she continued, saying, “I remembered the recording that was gathered on the attackers when you fought the four of them, and I immediately recognized the same techniques that Cinder used against the Death Troopers: They’re an exact match.” 

 

Daniel could hardly believe what he was hearing, and so many conflicting thoughts were running through his head, most of them on how he was such a colossal fool for trusting Cinder, when the signs of her sociopathic nature were so obvious in hindsight.

 

He was interrupted from his train of thought by Vega, who gently asked him, “Well, how do you want to play this, Daniel?”

 

After a moment of considering his options, Daniel began to feel the wheel grinding in his head, and the beginnings of a plan began to form in his mind. He then said, “We need hard proof in order to ensure that Cinder is the traitor. We need to inform Ozpin, Ironwood, Viridian, and Tau of our prime suspect and her collaborators, and come up with a plan from there. For now, we keep this to ourselves until we can leave Lah’mu.”

 

The two other Light Side Adepts nodded at the idea, and Daniel reactivated his comlink, and said into it, “I-Five, we’re ready. Turn off the air for all unessential portions of the ship.” 

 

“ _What about Ventress? We can’t start until we hear from her. She said that she was coming to stop enemy reinforcements from reaching your position._ ” The human replica droid asked.

 

“Don’t worry about me, you bucket of bolts. I’m fine with these two knuckle-heads. Start the countdown.” Asajj faux-scathingly said to I-Five.

 

“ _Well, glad to see that you made it safely._ ” I-Five annoyingly said to Asajj, before he continued, saying, “ _Well, in that case, I’ll set the timer for a five-minute countdown. You’d all better stay where you are, unless you want to have your heads turn blue before they explode from the lack of oxygen._ ”

 

“Just shut up, I-Five.” Asajj said as she shut off her comlink, with Daniel following suit, and preparing for the psychic screams of death that would echo off the soon-to-be-captured Star Destroyer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends another tense chapter of my story, which happens to be my fiftieth one to date in this story. So, did you like the battles between Vader and the Shadow Alliance, the imminent arrival of the Shadow Alliance’s second fleet, which is mainly comprised of MandoCommander’s original CIS fleet that belonged to Admiral Zalveniad in his “Star Wars: Rebels” stories, and the potential revelation of who stole Amber’s powers in Squasher’s future RWBY/Star Wars crossover, because I sure enjoyed writing all of this? Don’t worry, I’ll get Squasher’s permission on Cinder’s techniques before posting this chapter. Anyway, how are you all doing on the night of May 25, 2018? I’m doing better, as I’ve calmed down from my previous bout of black rage. Anyway, I’d better prepare myself for a busy Sunday night, as that’s when I’ll be working at my movie theater this weekend.   
> May the Force and Iluvatar be with us all, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	52. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone! How are you all doing on this warm day of May 26, 2018? I’m doing quite well, as I just bought a good book at a nearby Barnes and Noble today, which is titled The Military Science of Star Wars, and I look forward on what I have to learn from it after I finish one of my Warhammer 40,000 omnibuses. How are all of your jobs going, as mine’s going well? I highly expect my movie theater to be jam-packed when I arrive to work tomorrow night. In other news, I’ve heard that some messed-up things are happening in Europe as we speak from a reliable source, so let’s keep the continent in our prayers for a while. So, when we last left our heroes, the Devastator was about to be taken by the Shadow Alliance in a manner similar to The Incredible Muffin’s Outcast Blades story (sorry that I didn’t give credit to your idea in the last chapter, it just slipped my mind), Cinder was implicated in the attack against Amber, and the Empire lost another five Inquisitors to the Shadow Alliance, one of whom, Prosset Dibs, was captured by them. Oh, and Admiral Libel’s fleet is on its way to ambush the Empire within the next thirty-one hours. I can’t wait to show you guys what comes next in this growing disaster of a campaign for the Empire. Well, I’d better get started. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me.
> 
> (May 27, 2018 Addendum.) Good evening, everyone! How are you all doing on this cool night? I’m doing well, as I got to leave work a half an hour early, and am now working on my fanfiction a bit before I go to bed in expectation for work tomorrow, as I’m on call, and will likely need to come in on account of the strong possibility of rain coming tomorrow. So, in other news, I have amazing fanfiction news: Squasher has, after two months and six days, updated his Star Wars/Hobbit crossover, Unexpected Jedi, and the forty-second chapter is amazing. I can’t wait to see what happens when all of the heroes from Squasher’s and my stories meet for the first time. I bet that it will be hilarious. Well, back to writing. 
> 
> (May 28, 2018 Addendum.) Good evening, everyone. How are you doing on this warm and misty evening? I’m doing well, as I had to work for about four hours at work today due to the high volume of moviegoers on Memorial Day. OH, before I forget, thank you, all of the soldiers, veterans, and servicemen who work hard to keep the United States safe. I cannot express how much I admire all of you for your tireless work that you do to protect us civilians. So, I’ll get back to writing now. With luck, this chapter should be done within the next two days.

_On the Planet Lah’mu_

_Within the Venerator-Class Star Destroyer_ Nefarid

 

Celeste Morne was finally within her element as she swiftly and soundlessly moved through the Imperials’ base of their ground operations within the Lah’mu System while Saw and the rest of their team provided the perfect distraction for her to deal with two of Sidious’s best servants.

 

As she silently climbed up the ventilation duct of the grounded Clone War-era Star Destroyer to the command bridge, where Grand Moff Tarkin and Emperor’s Hand Sarcev Quest were coordinating the ground assault, she felt a pall of Dark Side energy surround her, and she realized that she must have arrived at the bridge. Deciding to forgo stealth for expediency, sensing that Vader was on his way back to the capital ship, and likely sensed her presence, she kicked the ventilation panel down, onto the floor, and emerged to see the Star Destroyer’s crew look on with shock at being infiltrated, while Sarcev and Tarkin looked as if they were expecting her to arrive, and the two Shadow Guards and eight Death Troopers raised their weapons to defend their leaders.

 

“So, we meet the mysterious Jedi at last.” Sarcev said as he activated his red lightsaber, and continued to speak, saying with a hint of pride for the woman in his tone, “I admit, it took me quite a while to fully sense your presence in the Force, which implies that you must be a highly-experienced Jedi Shadow. However, I couldn’t find your name within the list of surviving Jedi in the Jedi Order’s databases.”

 

“My name is Celeste Morne, Sarcev Quest, and I’ve come for the grand moff.” Celeste said, with her tone full of pure determination as she spoke.

 

She then realized that she had a chance to sow friction between the Empire’s highest echelons of power, and, remembering the history books that she read from the Second Chance’s databases, smirked as she asked, “Didn’t Vader tell you about me?”

 

At the mention of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Sarcec’s curiosity piqued, and, knowing that she had him, Celeste continued to speak, having a smug look on her face as she said, “It was Vader that freed me from my imprisonment within Remulus Dreypa’s Oubliette three months after the Empire rose, and tried to recruit me in becoming his Sith Apprentice in an attempt to overthrow your Emperor.”

 

“Really?” Sarcev said, listening intently before he said, “Well, then you must have been one of the Jedi that Vader and the Emperor sensed when the Muur Talisman was destroyed. I’ll be sure to tell the Emperor of your claims, once we destroy your precious Shadow Alliance and take you and Tau Palpatine prisoner.” 

 

“Thou hast forgotten what it means to be a Jedi, traitor!” Said a feudal voice that made Sarcev turn his head to the opened turbolift, revealing the two Iron Knights, Dragite and Pontite, the two Mandalorians Kal and Darman Skirata, Partisan leader Saw Gerrera, Echani Jedi Knight Xey Pen, Mirkwood prince Legolas, and Dúnedain Ranger Celebion. 

 

“Oh, for…” Tarkin exasperatingly said, before he thought, _Someone on the_ Nefarid _is going to pay for this breach of security._

 

“I’m impressed.’ Sarcev said in commendation of the infiltration team’s ability to sneak onto the _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyer, and said, “It was you who triggered the explosions in the main hangar in order to cover your penetration of the ship’s security.”

 

“And to decimate your fighter complements even further.” Saw gloatingly said to the two elite Imperials.

 

“Yes, that last one was obvious, Gerrera.” Tarkin said, annoyed at Gerrera’s stating the obvious.

 

Sarcev then turned his gaze to Legolas and Celebion, and stated in a matter-of-fact tone, “I assume that, given your garb and presence in the Force, along with the pointy ears, that you are both natives of the world of Arda.”

 

Legolas responded by raising his two blaster pistols, and said, “I would recommend your immediate surrender if you want to live.”

 

Sarcev then chuckled at the polite but firm threat on his life, and said to the Woodland prince, “Oh, but I can’t surrender. Not when the Empire will destroy your paltry alliance before it begins.”

 

“Okay. Are we gonna stand here talking all day on who’ll win the battle, or are we going to get down to the bloody business.” Kal impatiently said, eager to get this mission over with, put Tarkin up for some old-fashioned interrogations, and reunite with his clan and fellow Mandalorians.

 

“Good point.” Sarcev agreed, before he turned to face the two Shadow Guards and eight Death Troopers, and said to them, “Gentlemen, if you’ll kindly help me kill these intruders. But, leave the female Jedi to me. Our master may have a use for her.”

 

Before the Death Troopers could get a shot in, Legolas, Kal, and Darman gunned five of them down in the blink of an eye, while the rest of them jumped out of the way in order to avoid the Force Push of the four Jedi in the strike force.

 

The six remaining Imperials, along with an irate Tarkin who had his blaster drawn at Saw, then charged at the Shadow Alliance team as they readied themselves for a melee bout.

 

_Ten Minutes Later_

_Thirty Hours and Thirty Minutes Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_9.2 Kilometers from the_ Nefarid

 

Darth Vader was incensed at the wave of death that emanated from the _Devastator_ , as he knew that the Shadow Alliance had taken command of his Star Destroyer, and purged the ship of any remaining opposition.

 

While a part of him developed a certain measure of respect for this enemy for willing to take decisive action in order to achieve its goals, he could not help but use the Force to snap the neck of the driver of the landspeeder that was taking him to the _Nefarid_.

 

He immediately took the helm of the vehicle, and floored it to the Nefarid in order to regroup with Tarkin and Sarcev Quest, as the battle was quickly becoming a quagmire for the Empire, which would be unacceptable if the Shadow Alliance escaped after inflicting such heavy casualties on the Empire’s forces.

 

As he grew closer to the _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyer, he felt the presences of several Jedi on the cruiser, and he was quite familiar with one of them, as it was Celeste Morne, the Jedi that nearly killed him through infecting his Clone Stormtrooper escort with the Rakghoul Plague shortly after the Empire came to power.

 

This discovery further infuriated Vader, as he knew that if Celeste blabbed to anyone about his attempts to recruit her, Sidious would have Vader’s head. It made Vader redouble his efforts to make it to the _Nefarid_ in order to destroy the Shadow Alliance team on the ship, as well as anyone who knew of his plans, even if it was Grand Moff Tarkin himself.

 

 _Back on the_ Nefarid _’s Bridge_

 

Xey was finding herself having a difficult time with the Shadow Guard that was currently trying to kill her, as any hit from her lightsaber barely scratched the man’s armor.

 

After finding herself in a lock with the Shadow Guard’s lightsaber pike, she realized why the Shadow Guard’s armor was all but impervious to lightsaber attacks, and she said, “That armor is made from mithril, isn’t it?”

 

The guard made no sound in remark to the question, but the surprise from him confirmed the young Echani’s suspicions, and she knew that this battle was going to be a great challenge to overcome.

 

Her fears of losing this battle came to naught when the guard felt a searing pain in his shoulder blade, who revealed a smirking Legolas ambushing him with his bow and mithril arrows, and the guard fell on his knees from the sneak attack.

 

Before Legolas could finish him off with another of his arrows, the guard unleashed a barrage of purple lightning that was just powerful enough to knock Legolas onto the ground as he convulsed in pain.

 

Xey tried to charge at the Shadow Guard in order to give Legolas time to recover, only for the guard to use his skills in unarmed combat to punch her in the stomach, and then kick her onto the ground next to the Elven prince, and immobilize her through his connection to the Force.

 

As he prepared to finish off Xey, he heard a whistling sound, and turned around to see Kal’s _beskar_ dagger snap in two as it penetrated the guard’s helmet, killing the man instantly as blood seeped out of the shattered helmet.

 

As Kal helped Xey onto her feet, he said to her, “You owe me a new dagger, Xey. Any idea why that guard’s armor was so hard to break through?”

 

“It’s the mithril that made the armor. It’s a mineral from Arda that, when refined, can make all but impenetrable armor, and is much more flexible than any other armor in this galaxy, including beskar. The Empire mined a bunch of it from the planet’s seas and mountains, and must have sent it to Sidious for experimentation.”

 

Suddenly, Kal remembered the Shadow Guard that he killed on Agon Nine when he was helping to rescue Climber and Trace, and how the armor held up against the Mandalorian’s _beskar_ dagger, and he said, “Looks like the Empire found a way to harness it into an even stronger armor.”

 

“Looks that way.” Xey said as she helped Legolas up.

 

Once the Woodland Realm’s prince was firmly on his feet, he said in relief, “Ugh, I can feel my teeth vibrating.”

 

Xey sympathetically patted Legolas on the shoulder, and then said, “Well, we’ll have some time to rest when we get back to our camps. We still have a Grand Moff and Emperor’s Hand to take down.”

 

With nothing left to say, the three comrades returned to the battle at hand, where Saw was busy beating the daylights out of an unconscious Tarkin, the two Iron Knights had pushed the remaining Shadow Guard out of a transparisteel window to his plummeting death, and Celebion and Darman were finishing off the last of the Death Troopers. 

 

As everyone got a hold of their bearings, they noticed at the end of their peripheral vision a crackle of Force Lightning, and they saw Celeste deflecting the barrage back at Sarcev, who jumped out of the way in order to avoid his own attack.

 

When he landed on his feet, he saw that his guards were all killed by the Shadow Alliance team, and he mentally thought, _How can the Emperor’s best and strongest possibly fail against a ragtag alliance of traitors?!?_

 

His train of thought was interrupted by the blaster bolt from Saw’s blaster pistol, which was fired millimeters from the man as a warning shot at the Ruling Councilman.

 

The Emperor’s Hand then said in disappointment, “A warning shot, Gerrera? You’re getting soft around these other seditionists.”

 

“Just give it up, Quest, and you might survive this encounter long enough to explain your disaster of a campaign to the Emperor.” Saw said in dismissal of the Dark Jedi’s insult.

 

“I’d rather… I’d rather…” Sarcev stuttered out as he felt an incredible surge of death emanate from a nearby position, and he turned his head to see the _Devastator_ , where the source of the disturbance in the Force, open fire on the two other _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, four _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, three _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, an _Acclamator_ -class assault ships, and eight Imperial Light Cruisers that composed Battlegroup Foxtrot.

 

Already, in shock over seeing the Jedi capture Darth Vader’s prized flagship, and already destroy three _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, two _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, and six Imperial Light Cruisers with minimal damage to the _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyer’s systems, Sarcev could not avoid Celeste’s yellow-colored lightsaber that struck through the fallen Jedi’s stomach, making him cough up blood from the pain that he was in.

 

Celeste then stood over the servant of Sidious, and sadly said, “You never should have deserted the Jedi Order, Quest.”

 

She then raised her lightsaber for the finishing blow, but was stopped by, of all people, Saw, who had Grand Moff Tarkin cuffed on both his hands and legs, and said to the Jedi Shadow, “Wait. We should let him live.”

 

No one could hardly believe what they were hearing from the Partisan leader, and Kal gave voice to everyone’s thoughts by saying, “Are you out of your _kriffing_ mind, Gerrera?!? We should kill him and the heck out of here before Vader makes his way here!”

 

“No. He’ll face death at Vader’s hands soon enough for failing to protect Tarkin. We’d just be putting him out of his misery, and he deserves whatever punishment that Vader’ll have in store for him.” Saw said, only saddened that he would not be able to witness Vader choking the life out of Sarcev.

 

Realizing that he would die from either his injuries or Vader’s wrath, Celeste and Kal relented, and the elderly Mandalorian keyed in the _Slave I_ to come and retrieve them and their new prisoner from the _Nefarid_.

 

In two minutes, Boba Fett’s starship arrived, and blasted through the bridge with its laser turrets, allowing the ten people to escape from the _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyer’s bridge, and head to Shadow Alliance territory.

 

As the _Slave I_ bolted away from Imperial pursuit, Sarcev sensed Vader near, and, knowing that if he did not act quickly, he would die without revealing Vader’s attempt of treachery for failing to protect the first Grand Moff of the Empire, he struggled to pull out his holonet comlink, and keyed in the Emperor’s personal frequency.

 

After a minute of horrific waiting, his comlink revealed the bedridden form of Darth Sidious, who rasped out, “ _What has happened in my absence, that required you to disturb my recovery, Quest?_ ”

 

“My-my lord, the Shadow Alliance has sent a team that just captured Grand Moff Tarkin with the aid of Boba Fett. But… there is something that you must here before you pass judgment on me.” Sarcev then took in a firm intake of breath in order to say what could damn Vader, and said, “There was a Jedi by the name of Celeste Morne who led the team, and claimed that Vader released her from Remulus Dreypa’s Oubliette three months after the Republic fell, and attempted to recruit her as his Sith apprentice. She was likely the one who contained the Muur Talisman for the last four years until Tau and his friends helped destroy it.”

 

Sidious then turned silent at his Hand’s claims, and, upon sensing the truth from him, said, “ _You did well to bring this to my attention, my loyal Hand. I will protect you from Vader’s wrath, and ensure that he will suffer an appropriate punishment for his attempt of treachery._ ”

 

“Thank you, my master.” Sarcev said in pure gratitude, before he began to cough violently at his unbearable pain. As soon as the coughing stopped, his vision began to blur, and he saw several medics approach him. He soon passed out, and his last thought before he lost consciousness was, _Why couldn’t those incompetent medics get here sooner?_

 

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_Thirty Hours Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_Within the_ Nefarid _’s Hangar_

 

“Well, I’ll say this much: Those Shadow Alliance guys don’t mess around when it comes to destruction.” Cad said, earning him irate looks from both Vader and Kravous.

 

Cad and Kravous had rendezvoused with Vader just outside the Nefarid’s hangar bay where they saw the devastation that Celeste and her team had wrought with their three stolen Lambda shuttles. The two bounty hunters informed Vader that Cody had committed suicide, and that Embo and Hudu had joined Boba Fett in his alliance with the Jedi, and how Bane theorized that Boba was likely the one that impeded the Duros’s bounty hunter’s investigation into finding the Jedi that were rumored to be stationed on Remnant. 

 

“You two, come with me to the med bay. I sense that Hand Quest has survived his encounter with the Jedi, and I want answers from him before he dies.” Vader ordered the two bounty hunters as he brusquely walked to the med bay in order to silence the potential witness to his schemes.

 

“As long as we can get back to killing Jedi after you deal with Councilman Quest.” Kravous growled out, angry over the delay in the killing spree that he longed to begin after his mission’s failure.

 

When the three men had just exited the hangar bay, Vader had received a transmission that belonged to the Emperor’s private frequency, and he clenched his fist in rage over Sarcev telling him off to his master.

 

He then pulled out his comlnk, and activated it, revealing an irate and furious Darth Sidious in his Sith robes as he struggled to stand up from the mental assault that he had endured.

 

The hologram of the Dark Lord of the Sith growled out to Vader, “ _Did you think that I would not find out about your machinations to usurp me? Your alliance with Fane Peturri was suspicious from the start, but your pathetic attempts to recruit Celeste Morne as your would-be apprentice nearly endangered the Empire through Karness Muur’s Rakghoul Plague. Your secrets and stupidity have compromised the Empire on so many fronts, that it has made the Lah’mu operation all but unfeasible. The allowance to keep the Shadowfeed relay network going, allowing the Jedi to infiltrate the_ Nefarid _and capture Grand Moff Tarkin, along with your personal failure of failing to protect Inquisitor Prosset Dibs, and your callous disregard for the Inquisitors and Imperial soldiers under your command have compromised the success of our fleet. Not to mention that Admiral Declann has perished from the strain on his mind less than ten hours ago, further weakening the Empire’s ability to wage war on our enemies._ ”

 

“Master, I-” Vader said in a paltry attempt to relay blame on his subordinates for his perception of their failures, only to be cut off by his master.

 

Sidious slowly snarled out, “ _I will deal with you, when you return to Imperial Center._ ” Sidious then said, “ _Grand Moff Trachta and High Inquisitor Halmere have joint command of the operation now. Furthermore, if the Imperial fleet does not show any progress over the next twenty-four hours, then it will be ordered to withdraw back to the Khar Delba System. If you interfere with them in any way, then I will have you executed for incompetence. Do you understand, apprentice?_ ”

 

Vader, after a moment of enduring black rage that could have snapped a man’s neck clean off in sharpness, growled out in great reluctance, “Yes, my master.”

 

“ _Good. Now then…_ ” Sidious turned to face Cad and Kravous, who suddenly felt a new shiver of fear course through them at the prospect of facing the Emperor’s pure fury.

 

Sidious then soothingly said, “ _Do not fear, you two. You had nothing to do with the gross failures that have occurred here, and will be compensated accordingly for your service here._ ” 

 

With that said, the two Jedi hunters then sighed in relief, and Sidious then instructed to them, “ _Report to High Inquisitor Halmere on the_ Admonitor _for your next assignment._ ”

 

“Yes, your majesty.” Cad said, speaking for the two of them with immense gratitude over being spared from their master’s wrath. The two mercenaries quickly exited the hallway in order to take a shuttle to the personal Star Destroyer of Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo, which was the High Inquisitor’s temporary command ship.

 

That left Vader alone to face his master, who then said, “ _You, Lord Vader, will work under the direct command of Grand Moff Trachta on the_ Retribution. _If you so much as make a single move against him, I will end your pathetic and wretched existence when you return. Now, leave me to my recovery._ ”

 

Before Vader even had a chance to respond, Sidious ended the holonet call, leaving Vader alone to seethe in fury over the demotion of command after all that he had done for the Empire and the Sith, before he eventually followed his master’s will, and headed to take a shuttle to Grand Moff Trachta’s personal flagship.

 

_One Hour Later,_

_Twenty-Nine Hours Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_On the_ Skorp-Ion

 

“I can’t believe that you guys took out Admiral Screed and the _Demolisher_ by storming the bridge, and setting it on a collision course with the _Avarice_!” Khaleen said as she looked out in amazement at the explosion that erupted from the collision of the _Gladiator_ -class Star Destroyer and _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyer.

 

“It was the most direct way to kill two birds with one blaster bolt.” Quinlan said to his wife, who was amused at Khaleen’s antics before he took the helm of his ship, and piloted it to the surface of Lah’mu in order to rejoin the bulk of the Shadow Alliance in fighting off Vader and his minions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, the Imperial fleet is really suffering now. They’ve lost Grand Moff Tarkin to enemy capture, Admiral Nial Declann is dead due to his mind breaking from the strain of its lesser attunement to the Dark Side of the Force, and Admiral Terrinald Screed and his flagship are destroyed. I guess that that takes the latter out of the Droids TV series when C-3PO and R2-D2 meet with Mungo Boabab. In all serious, this chapter was a blast to write, as it put Vader in his place for his arrogance, and it was well deserved. It’ll be a miracle if he manages to regain the Emperor’s favor after this disaster of a campaign. So, how are you all doing on May 29, 2018? I’m doing well, as I don’t have to work today, and I used a bunch of the time to write the rest of this chapter, as well as read about a tenth of The Reagan Diaries today, leaving me with about two hundred pages left to go. After that, I’ll read a Warhammer 40,000 book. In other news, how many of you are craving the Original Star Wars Expanded Universe to return, because I sure am? Well, I guess that I have nothing else to talk about today. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	53. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, all of my fellow Star Wars Expanded Universe fans. How are you doing on this warm evening of May 29, 2018? I’m doing well, as I figured that I’d get some extra writing in before I go to bed. Now I just have to figure out how to construct this next chapter, as I’ve got so much going on, it’ll be hard to manage it all. Anyway, our heroes are doing amazingly well against the Empire so far, as they’ve all but taken Darth Vader out of the equation due to the Emperor discovering his actions in Star Wars: Dark Times #11-12. I expect him to receive a demotion similar to the one received in the 2015 Marvel Darth Vader comic book series. I wonder who will take his place though in the Imperial hierarchy. By the way, I’ve just figured out a brilliant idea on how to have Admiral Shonn Volta return to the Imperial fold in order to secure her cover as a Shadow Alliance agent. And, I discussed with Squasher on how to allow a certain Jedi Grand Master the chance to return to the greater galaxy before he dies. Whether he joins or not is up to him, but I can promise you that he will be very surprised by the changes that have occurred in his self-imposed exile. Oh, by the way, as of today, I’ve surpassed two hundred and forty thousand words in this story, which has been going on for nearly five months. Oh, before I forget, Master Skywalker 121 is graduating from high school on June 1, and I just wanted to let all of you know in case I finish this chapter by, or after, that date. One final thing, I might have to work tomorrow, so I might not have to write as much as I’d like tomorrow. Well, I’d better get started on the actual chapter, as I’ve only got so much time left in the evening. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me.

_Ten Minutes Later_

_Twenty-Eight Hours and Fifty Minutes Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_Onboard the_ Imperial _-class Star Destroyer_ Retaliation

 

“You’re kidding me, Grand Moff Trachta!” Wullf said in pure shock at the news that the Shadow Alliance captured Grand Moff Tarkin, how Trachta and Grand Inquisitor Halmere were put in charge of the operation, and that Darth Vader, a man who would not take orders from anyone other than Darth Sidious himself, was forced to serve under Trachta’s command for the duration of the mission.

 

“ _I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t heard it from the Emperor himself, Colonel_.” Trachta calmly said to the ISB colonel, who felt as if he would pass out from either joy or disbelief. Either reason was unacceptable for the Grand Moff, who quickly said, “ _We still have a battle to continue. And, we need to secure our escape routes in case the Shadow Alliance proves to be too much for us within the next twenty-four hours._ ”

 

“Considering our losses, and Admiral Screed’s death through Jedi infiltration, defeat may indeed prove a definite possibility.” Wulff said in agreement, which saddened him, as the Imperial fleet had suffered grievous losses from the capabilities of the Shadow Alliance’s disparate groups, and so many good soldiers and officers had lost their lives due to Sidious’s dictatorship.

 

_One Hour Later,_

_Twenty-Seven Hours and Forty-Eight Minutes Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_On the Surface of Lah’mu_

_Within the_ Lambda _-classT-4a shuttle_ Lambda

 

 From the fifty _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, thirty _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, twenty _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, ten _Acclamator_ -class assault ships, and forty-five Imperial Light Cruisers that invaded the system, only thirty _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, seventeen _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, twelve _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, six _Acclamator_ -class assault ships, and twenty-five Imperial Light Cruisers remained functional enough to remain in combat.

 

Compared to the Shadow Alliance’s losses, which had lost approximately eighteen percent of its fighting capabilities in the loss of four hundred starfighters, one of the Yuuzhan Vong’s _Miid ro’ik_ , a Remnant tank-like capital ship, and the bulk of the Partisan and Christophsis resistance’s ships being destroyed by the Empire.

 

On the ground, the Empire was in even worse straights, as ten of its Inquisitors were killed, while Prosset Dibs was captured, with the former Jedi turned Inquisitor Iktotchi Ferren Barr leading the nine surviving Inquistors in a fight for survival against the Nimbus Commandos and Arda forces. To further exacerbate the Empire’s losses, it had already lost three of its ten battalions, four of the ten Shadow Guards assigned to the siege, and one of its Emperor’s Hands, Jeng Droga, while the other Hand, Sarcev Quest, was bedridden after failing to stop the Shadow Alliance from capturing Grand Moff Tarkin.

 

Shonn Volta, the first nonhuman to reach the rank of admiral within the Imperial Navy, and a recent agent for the Shadow Alliance, was amazed at how resilient and strong her new friends were proving themselves to be, despite the odds that were stacked against them.

 

She said as much to her “prisoner”, Galen Walton Erso, by saying, “I can’t believe that our allies are putting up such a fierce fight.”

 

“Well, they have their backs against the wall, and people and animals fight their hardest when they’re backed into a corner.” Galen said as he readied himself for seeing his former friend and soon-to-be captor, Orson Krennic.

 

“True enough.” Shonn said in concurrence before she sympathetically said to the captured scientist, “Are you ready, Galen?”

 

“I’m ready, Shonn. I’ve said my goodbyes to my family, and I know that they’ll be safe until I come back. Everything is all in Iluvatar’s hands now, my friend.” Galen solemnly said, ready to do his part to help the Shadow Alliance bring down the Empire for the many wars to come in the future against even darker evils.

 

“All right.” Shonn said as she stunned the human to ensure that he didn’t have any second thoughts about this plan, and then readied her personal _Lambda_ -class Shuttle for departure to the _Judicator_ in order for him to be placed under Krennic’s custody.

 

As she transmitted her pulse transmission for Trachta to send an escort to ensure her safe return, twelve Shadow Alliance V-Wings, as a part of the plan to make her escape as believable as possible, diverged from their present flight plan, and one of them said, “Lambda _, your departure was not authorized. Return to your designated landing zone immediately, or risk being fired upon._ ”

 

“Sorry, but I’ve got a delivery to make to my superiors, and they’ll do worse things to me than what you’re promising if I fail them.” Shonn said as she sensed the Imperial escort coming her way, and said with false revulsion, “I wish that I could say that it’s been a pleasure meeting you traitors, but then I’d be lying. I’ll see you all in Chaos.”

 

“ _You miserable,_ karking-” The line was then cut off, and several of the Shadow Alliance V-Wings were destroyed by the two TIE Fighter Squadrons that soared to the admiral’s defense, forcing the five surviving ex-GAR starfighters to retreat in order to avoid being slaughtered.

 

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_Twenty-Seven Hours and Fifteen Minutes Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_Onboard the_ Imperial _-class Star Destroyer_ Judicator

 _Within the_ Judicator _’s Hangar_

 

“You must be so excited for your former friend to return to your pet project, Director Krennic.” Moff Ardus Kaine said to the Director of the Advanced Weapons Research division of the Imperial Military, who looked positively giddy with eagerness at getting his hands back on the leading expert on crystallography and energy enrichment after over two years of fruitless searching for him.

 

“You could say that, Moff Kaine.” Orson said with a false sense of calm to the young Moff, who only rolled his eyes at the higher-ranking Imperial’s lack of maturity.

 

Just then, the Lambda shuttle that Admiral Volta was piloting landed, and the near-human admiral carried out a stun-cuffed Galen Erso out, where he was brought to Orson by two of the eight Death Troopers that escorted the two high-ranking Imperials.

 

“Well, well, well. Galen Erso. I didn’t think that I would find you as a simple farmer on such a remote world, of all of the places that you could hide.” Orson gloatingly said to his former friend, who merely stared at him with such an intensity that could make most people flinch before his gaze.

 

“You’ll never win this war, Krennic. The people of the galaxy will rise up against the injustices that you and your superiors are committing, and will tear down your vile Empire.” Galen firmly said, earning him a slap on the face from the irate weapons director, the force of said slap forced him to the ground.

 

“I don’t know what you thought that you could accomplish with the Jedi and their fellow traitors, but it will end here. I only wish that we couldn’t stay for the end of their little rebellion, as we have to get back to Eadu, where you’ll meet your new colleagues. Now then…” Orson sadistically said before he turned to face Shonn, and asked, “Where are the rest of the Erso’s?”

 

“They’re… not here, Director Krennic.” Shonn said, which ruined the human’s good mood, as he was hoping to have all of the Erso’s here in order to ensure Galen’s full compliance in the Death Star project.

 

Nearly losing his composure over this one piece of inconvenient news, he was unable to form any words, allowing Ardus to take the reigns of the conversation, politely saying to Shonn, “Was there no way to secure Lyra and Jyn Erso, Admiral?”

 

“They were helping the medics with the wounded, and several Jedi were present. I figured that it would be best if I didn’t push my luck, and secure the package with minimal risk to the mission objective.” Shonn explained, which earned a nod of understanding from Ardus, who knew how dangerous the Jedi were in combat, especially when they were in groups.

 

“Well, then I’d say that you made the correct call, Admiral Volta. I’ll inform Grand Moff Trachta and Grand Inquisitor Halmere of the success of your objective, and plot a course to Eadu once we have confirmation for our withdrawal.” Ardus said in praise of the near human’s pragmatic approach to the mission.

 

He then said, “Get some rest, and report to the tactical room in ten hours, as we’ll need a full debriefing for the Emperor when we reach Eadu.”

 

“Thank you, Moff Kaine.” Shonn gratefully said to the young Moff, who then left Orson to fume over his plans not going exactly his way, before he calmed down, and went up to the bridge to report the success of Admiral Volta’s mission to Trachta and Halmere.

 

_One Hour Later_

_Twenty-Six Hours and Ten Minutes Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_In Orbit Above Lah’mu_

_On the_ Second Chance

 

“Ventis, Rex, We’ve got incoming at eight o’clock!” Akku said to the two new gunners on the YT-1300 freighter, both of who immediately opened fire on the TIE Fighters and V-Wings that were foolish enough to try and take a cheap shot at the exact replica of the _Millennium Falcon_ , decimating the twelve fighters with their light turbolasers.

 

“ _Hah! That showed them._ ” Ventis enthusiastically said, grateful to be back on the _Second Chance_ after the traumatic ordeal that Rex had to endure in losing Cody to him taking his own life in his fanatical loyalty to the Empire.

 

“Hey, Akku! We’ve got a Star Destroyer turning away from the battle. Looks like they’re preparing to jump to hyperspace.” Rex said from his gunner’s position on the ship.

 

“We see it. Scanners pick it up as the _Judicator_.” Hera said from her copilot’s seat in the ship, which earned a look of immediate recognition from Akku. Hera then asked the Anzati captain, “Is this one of those top-secret plans that you can’t tell me about?” 

 

“I’m afraid so, Hera.” Akku sympathetically said to the teenage Twi’lek, who only huffed in annoyance over having more secrets that people were keeping from her.

 

Akku then said to Hera, “Don’t worry, Hera. You’ll be in the loop soon enough. Just keep on the path that you’re on, and you’ll do great things, just like the original you did. Before long, you’ll even own your own ship alongside Chopper.”

 

Hera, grateful for the compliment, and excited at the near prospect of owning her own ship with her grumpy friend from the Clone War, nodded in appreciation for Akku’s support for her, and then asked the _Second Chance_ ’s captain, “Should we alert Tau and the others on the ship fleeing the battle?”

 

“Yes. They need to know that their plans are working.” Akku said as he keyed in Tau’s comlink frequency, and said into it, “Tau, do you copy? This is Akku. The _Judicator_ is preparing to jump to hyperspace.”

 

“ _I hear you, Akku. I guess our friend seized their moment to make their move._ ” Tau said, confusing Hera, who wisely did not say anything as she listened intently to the conversation between the two old friends.

 

Tau then asked the Anzati Mandalorian, “ _Anything else, because we’ve got to prepare for the Imperials’ next ground attack, which could happen any minute now?_ ”

 

“Nothing on our front. We’ve been repelling wave after wave of Imperial fighters, and I think that they’re finally starting to run low on manpower to throw at us.” Akku said, noticing a break in the action as the Imperials pulled back to assess the damage to their fleet.

 

_One Hour Later_

_Twenty-Five Hours and Five Minutes Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_Onboard the_ Imperial _-class Star Destroyer_ Retribution

 

Darth Vader could hardly believe that the Imperial fleet, with all of its might and power, was faring so poorly against the motley crews that they were arrayed against.

 

With the _Judicator_ ordered to flee the battle in order to secure Galen Erso at Eadu, and the _Devastator_ , _Obliterator_ , and _Sovereign_ now fully under the command of the Shadow Alliance teams that infiltrated each Star Destroyer, they had each inflicted terrible losses on the Imperials’ flanks, and lowered the Imperials’ numbers down to twenty-two _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, fifteen _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, ten _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, four _Acclamator_ -class assault ships, and fifteen Imperial Light Cruisers.

 

He said as much to his direct superior, Grand Moff Trachta, and scathingly said, “It was foolish of you to send the _Judicator_ to Eadu in the middle of a battle, not when our forces are faring so poorly under your command, Trachta.”

 

“Need I remind you, Vader, that the fleet was, up until a handful of hours ago, under your command, and during that time, Grand Moff Tarkin the _Devastator_ , _Obliterator_ , and _Sovereign_ were captured by the Jedi, were which threw much of our forces into disarray. It’s a miracle that Grand Inquisitor Halmere and I haven’t given the order to withdraw from this quagmire at once.” Trachta corrected, fed up with Vader acting like a spoiled child for not being able to own up to his own errors in judgment.

 

Trachta then said to the bridge’s officers, “Pull all our forces back five hundred kilometers, and recall all ground units from their positions so that we can regroup and reassess our losses. Alert all Imperial forces within the adjacent sectors that they are to be diverted to the Lah’mu System at once. And, for crying out loud, shut down the Shadowfeed relays within the next twelve hours. Destroy them if you have to, or I’ll have everyone responsible for this gross negligence reassigned to Alzoc III and Tatooine for two ten-year assignments there.”

 

“At once, Sir!” The bridge’s communications officer dutifully said as she carried out her superior’s orders with diligence and swiftness.

 

“You should be pressing the attack, Trachta, not giving the enemy a chance to flee the system and seed chaos across the galaxy!” Vader snarled out.

 

Vader’s mockery of Trachta’s abilities as a commander made the pale-skinned Grand Moff swirl around in pure unadulterated rage, and screamed out, “I will not have your temper tantrums risk any more lives through just throwing them at the enemy, Vader! These men and women placed their trust in us, and I will not abuse that loyalty by betraying them just to serve your bloodlust, especially when you do not hold command of this mission!”

 

Vader then walked right up to Trachta’s face, and forebodingly said, “Be careful that you do not stumble on your rise to our master’s side, Grand Moff Trachta.”

 

Trachta, recognizing the obvious threat that Vader had just made on his life, sarcastically said, “Thank you for your concern, Vader. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Grand Inquisitor Halmere and I need to plan our next move.” He then turned back to the communications officer, and said to the woman, “Once you are done relaying the orders to all captains, contact Admiral Tennant and Colonel Yularen, and have them and Captain Thrawn join our strategic meeting. We’re going to need our best minds if we’re to find a way to salvage something out of this mess.”

 

“Yes, Sir.” The woman said, astounded at how her direct superior had either the bravery or foolishness to talk back to the disgraced Supreme Commander of the Imperial Military with such a fire.

 

“And, Vader?” Trachta idly said to his rival, before continuing, saying, “Idle threats like the one you gave me won’t intimidate me. I only want what’s best for the Empire and the Emperor.”

 

“Then you had better pull a victory out of this disaster, or the Emperor will have both of our heads for this failure.” Vader replied, before walking with Trachta to the strategic conference that the Grand Moff had just announced.

 

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_Twenty-Four Hours and Thirty Minutes Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_On Lah’mu_

_Within the_ Second Chance

 

“The Imperials have retreated to the edge of the adjacent planet of Praven.” Berch said to the assembled leaders of the Shadow Alliance from his cell’s _Providence_ -Class Dreadnought, the _Remember Antar IV_ , before he continued to speak, saying, “ _Their ground forces have retreated to their drop ships in order to regroup. I say that we fight our way off of this death trap now, while we’ve got the upper hand against the enemy._ ”

 

“ _I disagree, Commander Teller._ ” Rahm respectfully said, before he continued, strategically saying, “ _Our forces would suffer too many losses to the Empire’s capital ships, and cripple our ability to go on the offensive for when do manage to escape the system. We just have to hold out for another day until our window of opportunity to conduct a fighting retreat arrives._ ”

 

“ _So, your plan is to just stay stranded here while we wait for whatever reinforcements that you’ve got coming?_ ” Cham incredulously said, before continuing, gruffly saying, “ _Master Jedi, we’ve still got civilians on Lah’mu to evacuate, not to mention the remaining essential equipment that we still have set up across the area, unless we want either of them to fall into Vader and Sidious’s hands._ ”

 

“Actually, according to the reports that we’ve managed to intercept from the _Retribution_ , _Adomintor_ , and _Retaliation_ , Vader’s been stripped of command of the Imperial fleet for unknown reasons, _and_ Grand Inquisitor Halmere and Grand Moff Trachta have been given command of the fleet.” Tau said, while hiding the knowledge that the two of his most prominent Imperial contacts, Trachta and Wullf, shared this knowledge with him, and how Sarcev Quest blabbed about Vader’s attempts to subvert Celeste into his Sith Apprentice. 

 

“ _Wait. Vader’s been demoted?_ ” Saw incredulously said, before he laughed at the hilarity of a Dark Lord of the Sith being demoted, and, once he recovered from his fit of laughter, said, “ _Man,_ _I sure do pity the poor sap that has to face Skywalker’s wrath._ ”

 

“Don’t underestimate a fallen Jedi, Saw Gerrera.” Cassius sagely said to the Partisan leader, before the Taung continued to speak, saying, “He killed three of my brothers, and stole their bodies for his master’s sick cloning experiments.”

 

“Well, then I know what our next mission is, once we evacuate as many of Admiral Volta’s people as we can, and sabotage the Empire’s mining operations there.” Tau said, before he thoughtfully said, “I might know one or two crime lords that would be more than happy to strike a blow against the Kaminoans for their part in the Clone War.”

 

Ahsoka threw him a sideways glance, and worriedly said through their growing Force Bond, _You’re not thinking of_ _Azzim Anjilic Atirue and his uncle, Vedo, are you, because that would not go over well with General Syndulla and our senatorial allies?_

 

 _And Popara Anjiliac and his clan, luv._ Tau said in confirmation as he winked at his girlfriend, which made her roll her eyes in annoyance at the apparent lack of immaturity, and he then said in complete seriousness, _Look, I’m making a plan to bring them onto our side. And, they’re decent Hutts who have done business with my Jedi Order before and during my brother’s time. I know it’s a big risk, but, frankly, we need all of the help that we can get. Besides, the Hutt families want to be on the winning side, and we’re going to prove that the Shadow Alliance is going to be the winning horse in this race._

_‘Winning horse’? What the heck is a horse?_ Ahsoka confusingly asked her boyfriend.

 

 _It’s an animal that people on Arda ride on for a quick means of transportation across vast distances._ Tau explained, before he telepathically said, _We’ll talk later, but right now, we need to keep our minds in the here and now._

 

As Tau and Ahsoka ended their private conversation, they heard bickering between several factions, and Elrond ended the arguing by firmly saying, “ _Enough. We can plan our next move after we escape the system. For now, we need to focus on preparing to evacuate everyone on this world, so that they can avoid Imperial vengeance._ ” 

 

“ _Well, we’re lucky that there’s only a few hundred colonists on the planet._ ” Maarisa replied, before continuing, saying, “ _They’ve all been evacuated onto the civilian transports, and most of them have asked to join our alliance after we escape the system._ ”

 

“Good.” Tau said, before he said, “We’ll likely have at least a few hours until the Imperials try to break our lines again, so let’s all try to get some rest for now. Stay alive, all of you.”

 

With that, Arnine turned off the _Second Chance_ ’s holonet projector, and Butch licked his master affectionately after being separated from him during the Imperials’ onslaught.

 

“I know, Butch. I wanted you by my side too, but you were needed at the medical wing in order to help calm the minds of the wounded. Don’t worry, in a few hours, you’ll be able to fight by our side, that’s a promise.” Tau reassuringly said to the Tuk’ata hound, who looked excited at fighting by his dear friend’s side again, and pounced on the clone Jedi, making him laugh from his constant licking of his face.

 

After he got Butch off of him, he turned to his crew, and their temporary additions of Hera and Rex, and said to them, “Well, we all know what we’ll likely face in a few hours, so let’s try and get some sleep before they come back. Iluvatar watch over us all.”

 

With that, he turned to head to his cabin, with Ahsoka and Butch following him, and the couple quickly fell onto the bed in exhaustion after one draining battle after another, and the Sith hound watched them get under the covers and snuggle up close to the other before they all quickly fell asleep, knowing that there would be time for flirting and witty banter after they had escaped the Imperial’s blockade of the Lah’mu System.

 

*

 

“Are they…?” Rex inquired to Ventis and Akku on what the couple might be up to within Tau’s cabin, only to receive incredulous looks from both men.

 

“Oh, no, Rex. They’re just sleeping in the same room together. Fully clothed, I might add, so don’t even go there.” Ventis ardently denied before he continued to speak, saying, “Tau’s a gentleman, so he’ll avoid any impromptu decisions on either part.”

 

“”Ugh! That’s disgusting” Hera exclaimed in a typical teenage fashion over the talk of the possibility of sex between Ahsoka and Tau. She then said, “I’m gonna go get some shuteye before we have to fly again. Let me know if there’s anything else to fix before we fly off into battle again.”

 

With that said, each member of the _Second Chance_ headed to their designated sleeping quarters in order to recuperate from today’s weary battles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends another chapter of the Siege of Lah’mu. The clock is ticking for both the Empire and Shadow Alliance, and they’d better be ready for when Admiral Libel’s fleet arrives, because nothing will be the same after they come into the fray. So, what did you guys think of this chapter? And, as always, be honest, as I value your constructive criticism. How are you all doing on the night of June 2, 2018? I’m a bit exhausted, as I worked a five-hour shift at my movie theater today, and then had dinner with my family at a good restaurant. Also, I worked in the heat yesterday at my local help center, and then pulled a four-plus hour shift at work a few hours afterwards, so I’m pretty worn our right now. Well, at least I have a few days to rest until I might get called in on Wednesday. In video game news, I’ve finished Dragon Age: Origins and Leliana’a Song, and am ready to tackle Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening tomorrow. Oh, before I forget, tomorrow is Squasher’s birthday, so please wish him a happy birthday if you can. Well, I guess that that’s it for today. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	54. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, all of you Star Wars fanfiction enthusiasts! How are you doing on this hot day of June 3, 2018? I’m doing well, as I just woke up from an hour-long nap, and I’m ready to start writing the next chapter of Star Wars: Shadow Wars: Foundation. So, what have you all been up to today, as I went to church this morning, and had a good lunch afterwards? Oh, before I forget, happy birthday, Squasher. I hope that you enjoy it with your friends and family. Well, I guess that, since I’m drawing a blank on what to talk about today, I’d better get to work on the next chapter. Oh, I do have a couple of things to talk about before I start writing. First off, two days ago, my mass market paperback edition copy of Star Wars: Canto Bright came in the mail from Barnes and Noble, and I can’t wait to read it, as I feel that I can integrate it into my head canon, with a few modifications, of course. Second, I expect to finally make a good order on Amazon tomorrow, which will have two Tolkien books, a Warhammer 40,000 Omnibus book, and a Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening strategy guide. Anyway, back to writing, as I’ve got a few days for writing, as I won’t have to work until possibly Wednesday. May the Force and Iluvatar be with our heroes as they continue to defy the Empire on Lah’mu.
> 
> (June 5, 2018 Addendum.) Hello, everyone. How are you doing on this hot Tuesday? I’m doing well, as I’ll soon have shrimp Parmesan for dinner, which is delectable. Anyway, I’ve been working hard on this chapter, as I’ve already written over 3,000 words in this chapter, and I still have a good ways to go until it’s complete. So, what have you all been up to today? I mowed my parent’s front lawn this morning, and went to a nearby Barnes and Noble to buy a current events book that talks about the President of the United States of America, and how he is making America a great nation again. Oh, and I ordered the two Tolkien books, a Warhammer 40,000 Omnibus book, and the Prima’s Official Strategy Guide to Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening yesterday, and I can’t wait to get them through the mail, as two of them have already been shipped today. One more thing, I’m almost done with my The Reagan Diaries book, and, once that’s done, I’ll read Warhammer 40,000: Sisters Of Battle, which I expect to be dark, but enjoyable. Well, I’d better get back to writing, as I might have to work tomorrow. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me.

_Meanwhile, Onboard the_ Imperial _-class Star Destroyer_ Retribution

 

“How bad are the casualties on your front, Grand Inquisitor Halmere?” Trachta asked his fellow fleet commander as the two of them, Darth Vader, Admiral Nils Tennant, Colonel Wullf Yularen, and Captain Thrawn held a secure strategic conference in order to reassess the Imperial fleet’s capability to wage war on the Shadow Alliance.

 

“ _We’ve lost thirty percent of our starfighters, forty percent of our capital ships, and twenty percent of our ground forces._ ” Halmere grimly replied as he glared daggers at Vader for his foolish style of command during his tenure of fleet commander.

 

“ _What about the reinforcements that we diverted from their assigned positions? When can we expect their arrival?_ ” Nils hopefully asked.

 

“ _There… are no reinforcements coming, Admiral Tenant._ ” Wullf hesitantly said to his colleague, which made the admiral, in a fit of anger, slam his fist on his table on his own _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyer, the _Harvester_.

 

“ _How can that be?!? We’ve got several important shipyards and fighter academies that are just a few hours away in hyperspace? Surely they can spare a few capital ships, otherwise, we’ll all likely be slaughtered by the Jedi and their subordinates._ ” Nils incredulously said, not willing to accept that his career would end here.

 

“ _It is the Emperor’s orders, I’m afraid.”_ Wullf sadly said, before he continued to deliver bad news, saying, _“He doesn’t believe that sending more Imperial forces here will win this conflict, and has ordered all forces to hold at their current positions in order to protect the Empire’s interests all across the galaxy._ ” 

 

“ _But if we don’t defeat this Shadow Alliance, and the traitors that comprise it, here and now, they’ll spread like wildfire across the entire galaxy, and they could overthrow everything that we’ve only begun to rebuild._ ” Nils fervently said, afraid that the Empire could not survive the insurgents’ efforts if they escape the system.

 

“ _It’s out of our hands, Admiral._ ” Wullf unhappily said, his white mustache furrowed in disappointment.

 

Halmere, with his voice full of resolve, then said, “ _Then we’ll just have to make do with what we have. Fortunately, Captain Thrawn has come up with several strategies that stand a chance against the unconventional tactics of these very diverse groups._ ”

 

 At that, Nils nearly blew a gasket at the prospect of having the Imperial chain of command subverted by a young captain, and shockingly said, “ _And what you bring to the meeting that several of the Empire’s brightest minds cannot,_ Captain _Thrawn_?”

 

As soon as he said those words, he felt his trachea being strangled by a powerful grip, and turned to face Vader, who, to the admiral’s shock, was not telekinetically choking him. He then realized who was choking him, and turned to face the Grand Inquisitor, who said, “ _Do not insult a fellow Imperial officer over such a petty charge, Admiral Tennant, especially one who is at the very least, the equal of all of you in tactics and strategy._ ”

 

“Enough, Grand Inquisitor Halmere.” Trachta firmly said, before he added in a simultaneously praising and demeaning tone, “We need every leader that we can if we’re going to survive this debacle, and Admiral Tennant is one of our best and brightest, if not our most diplomatic or discrete.”

 

Halmere then relented with a nod of his head under the Grand Moff’s reasoning, and released his invisible hold on the admiral’s neck, allowing the man to take in large amounts of air in order to regain his full bearings.

 

The Grand Inquisitor then said in a threatening manner, “ _Consider yourself fortunate, Admiral, to have such a loyal defender in the form of the Grand Moff. In the future, I would recommend that you choose your words more carefully, or just avoid talking altogether in order to avoid getting yourself into trouble._ ”

 

“ _Th-Thank you, Grand Inquisitor._ ” Nils gratefully said to Halmere for agreeing to spare his life as he struggled to stay upright, and respectfully said to Thrawn, “ _Please accept my apologies for my tactless remarks, Captain Thrawn. I was out of line._ ”

 

“ _It is appreciated and accepted, Admiral. Many people have said worse things to me than what you did._ ” Thrawn graciously replied, before he noticed Vader tapping his fingers against his arm, and, knowing that the Sith Lord’s patience was wearing thin, then continued to speak, saying, “ _Now then, I believe that we are short on time, so I had better get started on advising you on my strategies._ ”

 

_Eight Hours Later_

_Sixteen Hours and Twenty-Four Minutes Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_Within the_ Gil-Gilad

 

T’ra Saa was deep in her meditations in order to recover her energies from the continuous usage of Battle Meditation over the course of the Siege of Lah’mu. As she meditated in bliss and quiet, she felt several tremors within the Force, and focused on the shatterpoints that would decide the outcome of the battle.

 

She could sense the approaching arrival of Admiral Dylan Libel and his fleet, which would ambush the remaining Imperials, and trap them within the system until the either surrendered or were killed.

 

She felt the nine Inquisitors and six Shadow Guards prepare themselves for the final assault that would break either the Shadow Alliance of Imperial fleet within the system.

 

She felt the emboldened resolve of the Shadow Alliance soldiers, and felt her heart soar at the cooperation and unity that the diverse allies were displaying.

 

Conversely, she felt the low morale of the Imperials, as they had suffered setback and loss since arriving within this system.

 

She felt Darth Vader and his seething rage over his lack of command over the situation, and her heart wept for the fallen man’s loss and suffering, but reminded herself that he brought it on himself by falling for Sidious’s lies and manipulations. She only hoped that Ahsoka and the other young Jedi could succeed in their plan of redeeming Vader when his former Jedi master could not.

 

Suddenly, she felt the Imperials beginning to galvanize themselves for the final assault, and said to her mixed guard of Shadow Alliance soldiers, “Alert High Command that the Imperials are preparing for a last attempt to break our lines.”

 

She then imploringly said to her guards, “Please hurry, for time is of the essence.”

 

_Ten Minutes Later_

_Sixteen Hours and Thirteen Minutes Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

“Well, at least we managed to get eight hours of sleep before Armageddon came for us.” Tau quipped to his girlfriend as they walked towards the main hall of his ship, and they sat down to see the assembled leaders of the Shadow Alliance in their respective ships.

 

Tau then said, “So, the Empire’s preparing to attack us one more time? Then we’d better get ready for the worst assault, as they’ll be throwing everything they’ve got at us, and we’ve got to hold out until our second fleet arrives.”

 

“ _We’ve already taken out most of their Dark Side Acolytes, and taken away Vader’s power of command. Not to mention killed Admiral Screed and captured Grand Moff Tarkin. Resisting the final attack should be a piece of cake._ ” Saw dismissively said, which earned him glares from almost everyone present.

 

Kal then said, “ _Don’t let your guard down against the Imperials, Gerrera. They might have reinforcements incoming any minute, any we’re all lucky that we’ve had the last eight hours to rest and treat our wounded._ ”

 

“Then we’d better get ready for whatever they’ve got planned for us, because whatever Trachta and Halmere have planned for us will no doubt be unconventional and dangerous.” Berch said, remembering how cunning and ruthless the Grand Moff could be when he set his mind to something.

 

Rahm then said, “ _So, Tarkin and Prosset have been secured away on the_ Sith’s Vengeance _, and they’ll be under triple guard until we can interrogate him and put him on trial._ ”

 

“Good. We can’t afford to have either man get away.” Tau said, before he turned to face the infiltration teams of the three captured Imperial-class Star Destroyers, and said, “Have the _Sovereign_ , _Obliterator_ , and _Devastator_ given you any trouble?”

 

“ _Not in the slightest._ ” Daniel said, before continuing, saying, “ _They’re functioning better than the Venerators and Victors, but they aren’t as elegant as either of them._ ” 

 

“ _Okay, we’ll have plenty of time to talk about your people’s ships and their craft later._ ” Thengel impatiently said, before the prince of Rohan then urgently said, “ _We need to prepare for the Imperials’ incursion, as they’re beginning to deploy their forces right now._ ” 

 

“All right. We’ll be in the front in fifteen minutes, tops. May Iluvatar be with us.” Tau said before he closed the channel, and apologetically said to Ahsoka, “Sorry that you won’t have time to take a sanisteam, luv, but you’ll have plenty of time to do so after we escape the system in less than a day.”

 

Ahsoka then smiled at her boyfriend’s playful banter, and gave him a kiss on the cheek before she sauntered off to prepare for departing the _Second Chance_ once they made their way to the frontlines Tau and Butch then began to follow her in close pursuit, the human not wishing anything to happen to the woman that he had already fallen so deeply in love with over the course of a couple of months, and the Tuk’ata wanting to protect his master and best friend.

 

The rest of the _Second Chance_ ’s crew smiled at each other over the obvious love between the two people, and prepared to drop off Jarael at the medical wing, where she would coordinate the evacuation of the wounded onto the capital ships in orbit.

 

 _Meanwhile, Onboard the_ Adomintor

 

“Are you ready to take command of the fleet, Commodore Thrawn?” Grand Inquisitor Halmere said to the newly promoted Chiss Imperial officer, who had been promoted not two hours ago in response to his ingenious strategy to deal with the Shadow Alliance. The promotion was also designed to give Thrawn the legitimate authority in commanding the Imperial fleet alongside Grand Moff Trachta, while Halmere prepared to incapacitate the Jedi who was coordinating the enemy forces with exact precision.

 

“I am, Grand Inquisitor. I will prove that your trust in me will not go unrewarded.” Thrawn deferentially said to his superior as the Grand Inquisitor went to retreat to his meditation chamber, where he would focus his energies for the mental attack on the unknown Jedi while the rest of the Jedi in the system were preoccupied by the Imperial attack.

 

Thrawn then turned his attention to the Imperial fleet that was assigned to his detachment, and said, “All ships, prepare to advance on my command.”

 

 _Concurrently, Onboard the_ Retribution

 

“This is Grand Moff Trachta. All ships are to form up for an attack alongside the _Adomintor_.” Trachta said to all of the ships under the joint command of him and Thrawn, while Vader looked on with disdain over these complex strategies that the Chiss officer had devised, as the Sith Lord favored using overwhelming force against the Jedi and their fellow traitors.

 

After five minutes of bringing the Imperial fleet into formation for the final attempt at breaking through the Shadow Alliance’s lines, Trachta contacted Thrawn, and said, “Are your ships ready to break through the rabble’s lines?”

 

Thrawn merely smiled in response, and said, “ _I would rather let my actions do the talking for me instead of wasting time pointlessly boasting._ ”

 

Trachta merely chuckled at the newly promoted commodore, and said to the commanders of each Imperial ship, “All ships commence attack!” 

 

_Ten Minutes Later_

_Fifteen Hours and Fifty-Five Minutes Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

Within the Gil-GIlad

 

T’Ra Saa felt a subtle but insidious presence in the Force near her, and she was unprepared for the speed and level of Dark Side energy that assaulted her.

 

The level of power was nowhere near the level of Darth Sidious, but it was still sufficient enough to inflict several psychic wounds on the Neti Jedi Master.

 

Finding that she did not have the strength to maintain both her Battle Meditation and her mental defenses, and, knowing that the Shadow Alliance could survive without her guiding its armies and fleets, she used the bulk of her remaining strength to drive back the human Grand Inquisitor’s specter back into his body.

 

Once T’Ra could guarantee that she was safe, she ended her trance, and found herself laying on the floor as Elrond and K’Kruhk tended to her.

 

The Whiphid Jedi Master, sensing that his compatriot was conscious, worriedly said to her, “T’Ra, what happened? I sensed a disturbance in the Force coming from you, and rushed here to you, only to find you engaged in a mental battle.”

 

“G-Grand Inquisitor Halmere attacked my mind.” T’Ra stammered out, before she nearly fainted right here and there, and apologetically said, “I’m afraid that I no longer have the strength to continue using Battle Meditation.”

 

“That does not matter. We’re fortunate that you survived the attack. We’ll get you into a bacta tank at once.” Elrond consolingly said to the female Jedi Master as he and K’Kruhk helped T’Ra up to her feet, and escorted her to the troop carrier’s doctor. She was quickly put into a bacta tank, where its healing contents began to heal the physical damage that Halmere had inflicted on her. 

 

“I’ll stay here and watch over Master Saa, Lord Elrond. You need to get to the front in order to help lead our forces.” K’Kruhk said, which the Elven lord agreed to with a brusque nod, and went to contact Tau and the others on this significant setback in their plan.

 

Five Minutes Later

_Fifteen Hours and Forty-Seven Minutes Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

 

“So, that is Thrawn’s angle, then.“ Tau insightfully said as he rubbed his chin in thought over what Elrond had told him and the rest of the Shadow Alliance’s leaders.

 

As everyone looked at him with a curious glint in their eyes, Tau realized that most of them did not know of Thrawn’s capabilities, and said with a hint of reverence for the Chiss’s brilliance, “Before my time, he was the one Imperial warlord that was able to drive the New Republic back from its dominant position, and take back half of the known galaxy for the Empire. He’s a military genius that… honestly, he has no true rival, as he’s just that good.”

 

“ _Surely this man has a weakness, as no person is invincible, no matter how excellent their skills are._ ” Ozpin insightfully said as a majority of the Shadow Alliance leaders began to worry for their chances of escaping the system.

 

“Well, beating Thrawn won’t be easy, but it can be done.” Tau thoughtfully said, before he resumed speaking, saying, “We need to surprise Thrawn, and keep him off-balance if we’re to have a chance of enduring this push long enough to make it out of here. Our best chance is by utilizing our best people on the front lines on both the ground, and in space.”

 

“Boba, Akku, Quinlan, Ahsoka. You four will be in charge of leading our fighters against the Imperials’ remaining ships.” Tau said, causing Boba to look at the Jedi as if he had grown a crown of horns on his head, while Ahsoka hurtfully telepathically said to him, _Why don’t you want me by your side, Tau?_

 

 _Vader’s going to be in this battle._ Tau grimly replied, before resuming his communiqué, mentally saying, _He’ll do anything to regain Sidious’s favor, and that includes killing everyone in this system, if need be._ _I need you to stay with Akku and the others if they’re going to stand a chance against him, as you fought by his side long enough to pick up a bunch of his tricks, which will give you a better chance of surviving against him than anyone else._

 

As Ahsoka seemed to consider the words, Tau sent waves of reassurance into her mind, and said, _Don’t worry, dear. I’ll be fine; I’ve got Butch to back me up. And, besides, I can’t die yet. I’ve still gotta marry you._

 

Ahsoka rolled her eyes at Tau’s infectious optimism, gripped his hand tightly, and mentally said, _You better come back, because I can’t stand losing the man that I love with all of my heart._

 

 _Agreed._ Tau said with an air of finality as he ended the telepathic conversation, and the two people returned their attention to the final Shadow Alliance strategic conference on Lah’mu.

 

“Having another private conversation with your girlfriend, are you, Tau?” Ventis conspiratorially whispered to his Jedi teacher, who subtly nodded his head in affirmation.

 

Tau then said to Boba and Quinlan, “I need you two to lead the fighters because you two are among the best pilots in the galaxy, not to mention your stellar and cutting-edge ships that can take on most enemies.”

 

“ _And you expect them to trust an amoral mercenary, one who just so happens to be the son of the man who was the template for the future Stormtrooper Corps?_ ” Boba disbelievingly said to Tau, who could hardly believe how much trust the Jedi were placing in him, especially after how he tried to kill Mace Windu on Coruscant five months before the Clone War ended, and how anti-Jedi he used to be before he met Daniel and his friends.

 

“I expect them to take a leap of faith with a friend of mine, Boba.” Tau cryptically said, before he sensed that Fenn Shysa seemed to want to say something, and turned the floor over to him so that he could quickly say his piece.

 

“Boba, my people will follow my lead, and I’ll follow you to the void, if need be.” Fenn impassionedly said, before he kept speaking, “Your family is a symbol of what the Mandalorian Supercommandos once were before they fell, and what we can still be if we if the _Mando'ade_ have someone to rally behind as a whole.”

 

“And, you helped us drive back Bane and Kravous when they tried to kill us and Ventis. You’ll have my support, Fett.” Rex said, surprising the fellow clone with the solidarity that Rex was displaying.

 

“ _Okay, as much as I enjoy our forces rallying together, we need to move this along. The Empire isn’t going to sit on its laurels all day while we decide how to fight them._ ” Saw impatiently said, eager to get out of this system in order to continue waging war against the Empire.

 

“ _Agreed._ ” Maarisa wholeheartedly said, with the rest of the leaders nodding their heads in concurrence.

 

“All right. Generals Kota and Ironwood, Lord Elrond, Colonel Skirata, Gerrera, and I will lead the ground forces against the Imperials and their remaining ground forces and Inquisitors.” Tau said, earning nods of approval from the bulk of the Shadow Alliance leaders.

 

“Any more questions?” Tau asked in order to conclude this meeting. When no one responded after a few seconds, Tau said, “No? Then let’s give these Imperials a beating they’ll never forget.”

 

“ _I’ll drink to that!_ ” Qrow eagerly said from the Remnant delegation before everyone signed off in order to finalize any last-minutes preparations for the endgame on Lah’mu.

 

Nagme then said to Tau, Jareal, Celebion, and Butch, “Well, we’d better get you guys to your positions before the Empire arrives. Stay safe.”

 

Once the Yuuzhan Vong woman finished her speech, everyone quickly went to their stations on the CEC YT-1300 Light Freighter, and Tau and Ahsoka shared a brief but passionate kiss before letting go of each other, and the former headed to the docking ramp, while the latter headed to the cockpit to assist Akku in piloting the _Second Chance_ in the coming space battle.

 

_Forty Minutes Later_

_Fifteen Hours Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_Within the_ Venerator _-Class Star Destroyer_ Nefarid

 

Ferren Barr, an Iktotchi, former Jedi Padawan who managed to escape Operation: Knightfall on Coruscant before being captured a few months later during the enslavement of the ocean world of Dac, and then corrupted by Vader and recruited into the Inquisitorious program, was finally ready to engage the Jedi, now that he couldn’t feel T’Ra Saa’s incessant presence nagging in his mind.

 

He and his eight fellow Inquisitors were ready to lead the remaining Imperial forces against the various rebel groups that made up the Shadow Alliance’s many contrasting armies.

 

“All forces, commence attack on your assigned targets!” Ferren stated, before he and his Inquisitors entered their Eta-2 Actis-class interceptors in order to make their way to the battlefield as quickly as possible.

 

The eight fighters, followed immediately behind them by the twenty TIE Fighters that remained in the ventral hanger of the _Nefarid_ , and they, along with the armored battalions of Imperial forces, made their way to the Shadow Alliance positions.

 

 _Concurrently, Within the_ Retribution

 

“How go the efforts to eradicate the Shadowfeed Relays, Captain Jordo?” Trachta asked the orange-haired Imperial Security Bureau captain.

 

“We are currently ahead of schedule, Grand Moff Trachta. The Imperial forces have shut down or destroyed approximately sixty percent of the active relays, and we expect another twenty percent to be deactivated within the next five hours.” Jordo calmly said, earning him a nod of approval from Trachta. 

 

“Good.” Trachta said before the Star Destroyer’s sensor alarms began to beep, making him wonder if the Shadow Alliance’s trump card was already here, and turned to his sensors officer to say, “What have you got on the sensors?”

 

“It appears to be…” The sensors officer looked perplexed at the readings, and hesitantly said,  “one lone freighter, Grand Moff.”

 

That was not the answer that Trachta was expecting, and walked over to the officer’s position to curiously say, “Are you sure of the readings?”

 

“Quite so, Grand Moff. I’ve checked the readings twice now, and it looks like a CEC VCX-100 light freighter, designated the _Ghost_.”

 

“I will deal with this Jedi personally.” Vader suddenly said, earning a look of surprise from the Grand Moff over the realization that another Jedi was entering the fray.

 

He acted quickly in order to avoid suspicion, and said, “Very well, Vader. I’ll provide you with the _Relentless_ in order to capture this unknown Jedi.”

 

Vader nodded in false gratitude at the approval for a mission that he should have undertaken without anyone but his Sith master ordering him around, and turned around to walk towards his prototype TIE Advanced x1 in order to capture a future Dark Side Acolyte for the Emperor in order to salvage something from this botched operation. 

 

Five Minutes Later

_Fourteen Hours and Fifty-Three Minutes Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_Within the CEC VCX-100 Light Freighter_ Ghost

 

The Miraluka woman, who was formerly a Jedi Temple Guard, readied herself for the imminent attack from the Star Destroyer that was breaking off from the main Imperial fleet, as well as the traitor who led the attack on her home, the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

 

She activated her secure communication to the Shadow Alliance, and said into it, “This is Agent Nomi, captain of the _Ghost_. I’ve entered the Lah’mu System, and I have Vader and a Star Destroyer heading towards my position. Requesting immediate assistance.”

 

“ _Copy that, Agent Nomi. This is Captain Denimoor of the_ Tenacious. _I’ll be breaking off to assist you, along with the_ Skorp-Ion _and_ Slave I _. ETA is ten minutes._ ”Denimoorquickly responded before he closed the channel, and she sensed a powerful and bright presence in the Force divert course to her location.

 

 _Now I just have to survive the Imperials and their master for ten minutes. Well, time for my piloting skills to be put to good use._ The mysterious Jedi Knight grimly thought as she primed her deflector shields to maximum, and signaled for her four-man crew, which was comprised of the Syndulla Clan’s personal astromech droid, C1-10P, who was on loan for an infiltration mission of an Imperial outpost in order to gather fleet movements from a nearby listening post, and the father-son mercenary team of Sagoro and Reymet Autem to prep the gun turrets for action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was an exciting chapter! A lot happened here: Thrawn got a promotion to commodore, and his plan has already incapacitated T’Ra Saa for the duration of the battle, making the Shadow Alliance’s final stand much more difficult to maintain. And, the mysterious Jedi Temple Guard that I included a while back has revealed herself, and in such a legendary ship in the Star Wars Rebels series. And, I’ve included a notable character from the Star Wars: Republic comic book series in the form of Senate Guard/mercenary/Republic/Imperial Navy captain Sagoro Autem. So, what do you think of this chapter, as it only took me three days to put it all together? I hope that you liked it, as the rest of the Siege of Lah’mu will be full of surprises and twists to come until the end. In other news, I might have to work tomorrow, so I might not be able to write much tomorrow. Just giving you a heads-up. Oh, one more thing. Are you guys listening to anything right now, because I’m listening to “Imagine Dragons: Whatever It Takes”, and I am enjoying the song very much. Well, I guess that that’s it for this update on June 5, 2018. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	55. Chapter 54

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, all of my friends and associates within the fanfcition community! How are you doing on the warm day of June 6, 2018? I’m doing well, as I don’t have to come into work today due to a lull in the theater, which gives me plenty of time to start writing my next chapter. What have you all been up to since I last heard from you? I’ve read a bit more of The Reagan Diaries, and I should be done with it later today. In addition, I’ve purchased Injustice 2 #27, and I enjoyed the beginning of the arc that, hopefully, begins the redemption of Hal Jordan. And, I’ve just read MandoCommandeer’s final chapter of Star Wars: Rebels: World at War, and it was excellent. I look forward to whatever he comes up with next in his amazing saga. So, when we last left our heroes and villains, T’Ra Saa had been incapacitated by a psychic assault by Grand Inquisitor Halmere, Vader had been given the Relentless in order to capture the Ghost, which contained the mysterious Jedi Temple Guard, C1-10P, and Sagoro and Reymet Autem, and the final Imperial assault against the Shadow Alliance had begun. How it will go down is anyone’s guess, and it will be one to remember for the history records. Well, I’ve rambled on long enough. It’s time to start writing the actual chapter. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me.
> 
> (June 7, 2018 Addendum) Hello, everyone. How are you doing on this warm day? I’m doing pretty well, as I’ve bought the Blu-Ray edition of 12 Strong today, and I look forward to watching it again sometime soon. In addition, I’ve begun reading Warhammer 40k: Sisters of Battle, and I must say that what I’ve read so far is interesting, and I look forward to what comes next. Well, I’d better get back to writing, as I’ve only got one day left until volunteering and work comes around. Wish me luck.

_Fourteen Hours and Forty-Seven Minutes Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_Within the_ Gil-Gilad

 

Vesse Mallory could sense the trauma that Jedi Master T’Ra Saa had underwent from Grand Inquisitor Halmere, and she knew what she had to do, which was why she was within the troop carrier with her father, Jane Mallory, and her stepmother, Niwen Mallory,in order to heal the Neti’s wounds.

 

She walked up to medical wing that contained the bacta tank that was healing T’Ra, and she found K’Kruhk monitoring her vital signs alongside a 2-1B medical droid.

 

The Whiphid Jedi Master noticed the Humna/Tholothian hybrid staring at T’Ra, and suspiciously said to Vesse, “Vesse, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be helping prepare the rest of the wounded for evacuation?”

 

“I felt Master Saa calling for help through the Force, and Niwen and I are the only ones who can save her mind before it’s too late.” Vesse cryptically replied before she and the Dúnedain walked up to the bacta tank, and sat in a meditative position in order to prepare to reach out to the Neti’s mind.

 

“What are you doing?” K’Kruhk asked as he prepared to escort them out of the room in order to give Master Saa the space to recuperate, only to be impeded by Captain Jane Mallory.

 

“Master K’Kruhk, you need to trust me here, these two can save Master Saa’s mind. They have a… unique connection to the Force that is different from anyone else’s in the galaxy. But, they need to concentrate in order to help Master Saa.” Jane tried to explain to the conscious Jedi Master, which confused the man before he felt the two women begin to chant in a foreign language, while extending their connection with the Force to reach out for T’Ra’s mind, and beginning to gently healing the nerve damage that Halmere had inflicted on her.

 

“This is most unusual, Master Jedi. The patient is showing improved neurological activity across the board.” The 2-1B curiously responded, earning a look of amazement from K’Kruhk.

 

“How is this possible?” K’Kruhk wondrously asked the former Stormtrooper captain as he saw T’Ra eyes beginning to open, and he felt her presence in the Force be healed of her rapidly fading injuries.

 

“My daughter gained many unique abilities when she was resurrected from death by Iluvatar, and Niwen has access to many healing techniques that her people have preserved over the millennia.” Jane explained to K’Kruhk. 

 

Before he could utter a single word of shock over the claim of Vesse being brought back from the Netherworld of the Force, K’Kruhk heard the telepathic voice of T’Ra speak to him, with the Neti asking, _K’Kruhk? How long have I been in this bacta tank, and how are we faring against the Empire?_

 

Knowing that this was T’Ra due to her serene calm in the Force, and not an imposter seeking to trick him into revealing crucial information on the Shadow Alliance, he said, “You’ve been in the _Gil-Gilad_ ’s medical bay for about an hour, and we’re holding steady, T’Ra, but the Empire is steadily gaining ground against us.”

 

 _Then I need to return to my meditations, old friend._ T’Ra resolutely said as she began to focus her energies for the reach of Battle Meditation to extend to the entire Lah’mu System.

 

“T’Ra…” K’Kruhk worriedly said, fearful that his friend and fellow Jedi would kill herself with her overextending her strength, before he realized what he had to do, and purposefully said, “Then I will help you by lending you my strength for this endeavor.”

 

 _Your help would be greatly appreciated, old friend._ T’Ra gratefully replied as she, Vesse, Niwen, and K’Kruhk prepared to aid the Shadow Alliance win this battle.

 

_Meanwhile, 1,000 Kilometers From Lah’mu_

_Within the CEC VCX-100 Light Freighter_ Ghost

 

“Reymet, You’ve got two TIEs coming in from seven o’clock!” Sagoro shouted to his son from his position on the main gun turret as he blasted away at a V-Wing that ventured too close to the _Ghost_ for comfort.

 

“Got ‘em, Dad!” Reymet shouted back from the _Phantom_ ’s dorsal guns as he quickly shot both TIE Fighters into oblivion.

 

Chopper suddenly rolled to the ladder that led to Sagoro’s gun turret, and warned him in Droidspeak that Vader was approaching their position.

 

The news of the imminent arrival of the fallen Jedi who murdered Imperial Captain Jace Dallin for just speaking out in defense of the Jedi a measly two weeks after the Empire rose, and butchered his old Senate Guard partner, Isaru Omin, caused a volcano of rage to erupt within Sagoro, and he growled out, “Bring him on.”

 

“Whoa, Dad. We can’t hope to match Skywalker in a space battle. We need to stick to the plan if we’re going to deliver our package, and survive this skirmish against the Imps.” Reymet said, being a rare voice of reason in his father’s rants of fury.

 

Sagoro immediately calmed down, and said, “Right. Sorry, Reymet.” He then called Agent Nomi, and said, “Is the package ready for drop-off, boss?”

 

“It’s ready, but we need to get closer to the Star Destroyer if we’re going to get a direct hit.” Nomi called back as she bobbed and weaved through the laser fire that nearly punched through the shields of the _Ghost_ before Nomi diverted power from the hyperdrive to the shields and engines, restoring the former to full power, while giving the latter a much-needed boost to gain some distance from the Imperial fighters.

 

“Well, we’d better get moving, because we need to get into the fight after we destroy that Star Destroyer with our bomb.” Reymet replied.

 

Once the conversation ended, Nomi reared the thrusters to maximum power, and charged straight at the _Relentless_.

 

 _Simultaneously, on the_ Relentless _’s Bridge_

 

Captain Kassius Konstantine was grateful to get away from the battle that was raging around the planet of Lah’mu, due to his desire to salvage something of his military and political career from this near-disaster under Darth Vader’s poor leadership, and capturing a rogue Jedi would do well for him in the Emperor’s eyes.

 

His second-in-command, Commander Woldar, interrupted him from his thoughts of a much-deserved promotion by urgently saying, “Sir, our scans have picked up a large amount of Rhydonium coming from the enemy freighter!”

 

That snapped the captain out of his dreams of climbing through the Empire’s ranks, and, remembering the Carida Incident from the Clone War over four years ago, he quickly said, “Well, then, shoot it down before it rams into us!”

 

“We’re trying, but it’s just too fast for our ion cannons and tractor beams, not to mention that a rogue Venerator is attacking us, forcing us to divert our focus.” Woldar replied, before he quietly asked, “Should we order an evacuation of the _Relentless_ , Sir?”

 

“Are you mad, Commander?” Kassius incredulously replied, before he angrily, but quietly, said, “If we order an evacuation of the ship now, we’ll all be at the Emperor’s mercies, even if we manage to survive the battle.” He then said to the bridge’s crew in a louder tone, “The first one to bring down the _Ghost_ will get a special commendation on their record.”

 

That incentive forced the commanding crew of the _Relentless_ to redouble their efforts to capture the _Ghost_ before it detonated and took out the Star Destroyer and all adjacent ships.

 

 _Instantaneously, on the_ Tenacious

 

“”You’ve got a what now on your ship?!?” Dalin shockingly asked the unknown Jedi who commanded the VCX-100 light freighter that seemed to be on a collision course with the _Relentless_.

 

“ _We need cover for a bombing run on the Star Destroyer that’s right in front of us._ ” Agent Nomi stated as the sounds of ion cannons and starfighter lasers that were being heard in the background.

 

“And you expect me to just allow you to throw away the lives of you and my men for a suicide run with a Rhydonium bomb?!?” Dalin countered before he heard the voice of an old friend of his from the Siege of Saleucami, Sagoro Autem.

 

“ _You have to trust us, Dalin_.” Sagoro imploringly said to his old Clone War comrade before he kept speaking, saying, “ _We just need a fighter cover in order to give us an opening. Once we’re clear, you and the_ Tenacious _can get clear of the blast range._ ”

 

Dalin, not wanting to let a friend die a pointless death at Vader’s hands, grudgingly said to his ship’s comms-officer, “Inform the _Skorp-Ion_ , _Slave I_ , and Talon Squadron to intercept Vader and his fighters in order to give the _Ghost_ their opening. Tell them to draw away the starfighters, and then get clear of the blast range.”

 

“At once, sir!” The comms-officer replied as they gave orders to the reinforcements that would aid the Ghost in their all-but suicide run.

 

*

 

Vader sensed the presences of Quinlan Vos, Boba Fett, and a squadron of Clone Pilots nearing his position, and said to the sixteen remaining TIE Fighters that were his escort, “Continue pursuit of the rebel ship, and draw them to the _Relentless_ ’s tractor beams. I will deal with these interlopers personally.”

 

Before he could hear the sounds of acknowledgement come from his escort, he diverted course to intercept the _Skorp-Ion_ and _Slave I_ , and said into his comms, “You should never have come here, traitors. Now you will die for betraying the Empire, and I will destroy all that you love and cherish.”

 

“ _You’ll have to beat us first, Anakin.”_ Quinlan retorted in a flippant manner, which only served to infuriate the Sith Lord even further, and he accelerated his course to the fourteen ships that were heading his way, only to find that seven of the Clone V-Wings broke off to head for the TIE Fighters pursuing the _Ghost_.

 

As he opened fire on a V-Wing that stayed with Quinlan and Boba’s ships, the Starfighter was vaporized instantly by the blast, and Vader took delight in feeling the traitorous clone’s last feelings of terror and despair.

 

He then nimbly swerved out of the way to avoid the Skorp-Ion’s blasts, only to run into the Slave I’s laser cannons, which gave Vader’s TIE prototype a beating, knocking out thirty percent of the starfighter’s shields.

 

He then gripped his ship’s controls even tighter, and, in his rage of making such an idiotic mistake, gripped an enemy V-Wing with the Force, and threw it at another V-Wing, causing both ships to explode from the collision.

 

He then sensed the two remaining V-Wings break off in order to aid the rest of their squad in protecting the _Ghost_ from the Imperials, leaving only Vader, the _Slave I_ , and the _Skorp-Ion_ , in this skirmish.

 

He could feel the presences of several others within the two enemy ships that each pilot held dear to their hearts. It was then when he realized that Quinlan must have brought his wife, the former Confederate spy Khaleen Hentz, along with their child, who Vader realized was a son, to this slaughter, while Boba Fett had brought his wife, Sintas Vel to aid him and his crew.

 

This new realization sent shivers of blinding fury within the cyborg’s soul, and he felt an overwhelming urge to make these two pay for finding happiness when he had to suffer for failing to save his wife from her failed childbirth.

_Concurrently, Within the_ Ghost

 

“Chopper, is the package ready for drop-off?” Nomi shouted to the cantankerous astromech droid, who warbled in confirmation that the Rhydonium bomb was armed and loaded for dispersal at the Star Destroyer that was growing closer and closer to the small freighter.

 

“Good.” Nomi grimly said as she readied herself to avenge the Jedi Order in her own way by taking out an Imperial Star Destroyer, and said to the Autem’s, “Get ready to see some big explosions, guys!!”

 

With the nine V-Wings drawing all but four of the sixteen TIE Fighters away from the Ghost, it had a clear shot at the _Relentless_ , and charged ahead to the bridge, where it would drop off the powerful explosive they acquired from Senator Organa’s contacts before coming to the Lah’mu System.

 

The _Ghost_ , now within firing range of the _Relentless_ , fired two salvos of proton torpedoes at the Star Destroyer’s bridge in order to open a miniscule gap in the ship’s shields for the Rhydonium, which was released from the _Ghost_ ’s cargo hold by Chopper, who chuckled at imagining the horrified face on the captain of the now-doomed Star Destroyer.

 

 _Onboard the_ Relentless _’s Bridge_

 

“What are they doing?” Kassius incredulously said as he saw the _Ghost_ fly right past the bridge of the _Relentless._ Before he could question Commander Woldar on the enemy’s intentions, he saw a large package heading straight for the ship’s bridge, and he immediately realized how he had been outplayed by the Shadow Alliance at the cost of his own life, he shouted to the bridge’s crew, “ABANDON SHIP!!! ABANDON SHI-”

 

He could not even finish his second sentence, for the Rhydonium detonated as it hit the transparisteel windows of the _Relentless_ ’s bridge, and began a chain reaction that would quickly spread throughout the entire Star Destroyer, causing it to explode in a handful of minutes, killing the entire crew of the capital ship.

 

*

 

Vader could not comprehend how the deceased Konstantine could possibly be so incompetent as to allow a single freighter to bring down such a potent symbol of Imperial might across the galaxy.

 

Upon realizing that he and the ten remaining TIE Fighters could no longer maintain the offensive against the Shadow Alliance’s task force, he, with terrible reluctance, said into his ship’s comlink, “All ships are ordered to retreat to the _Retribution_ at once.”

 

With the disgraceful order given, the TIE Fighters made a hasty retreat to Trachta’s Star Destroyer, where Vader expected that he would likely take the blame for Konstantine’s idiotic errors in judgment.

 

 _Meanwhile, On the_ Retribution

 

“How, just how, I ask each and every one of you, could a single freighter and less than fifteen fighters, possibly take down an Imperial Star Destroyer?!?” Trachta snarled out in rage over seeing the _Relentless_ explode from a Rhydonium bomb.

 

In order to prevent himself from truly expressing amazement over the innovativeness of the Shadow Alliance, he made a quick exit to the tactical room of the Destroyer’s bridge, and smashed his cybernetic fists on a nearby monitor as he bellowed a scream of unadulterated fury.

 

Once he finished venting his rage on the now-destroyed security monitor, he calmed down enough to say in a collected manner to the room’s crew, “Open a line to Colonel Yularen, Commodore Thrawn, Admiral Tennant, Grand Inquisitor Halmere, and Lord Vader, then leave the room once it has been done.”

 

The tactical room’s crew did so with hastened efficiency, and quickly brought up the holograms of each leader of the Imperial fleet, who each shared looks of fury and disgust on their faces over the gross idiocy of the now-dead Kassius Konstantine.

 

“ _Well, thanks to the lunacy of our own subordinates, we’ve lost the entire complement of the_ Relentless.” Nils growled out to no one in particular, before he regained control of his emotions, and said, “ _We’ve managed to break through the_ _Commenor Underground and Atrivis Resistance Group’s flank, and are pushing them back, but they’re making us pay for every inch. What I don’t understand, though, is the unprecedented level of coordination between the bulk of the Shadow Alliance’s forces._ ”

 

Nils then turned to face Halmere, and said, “ _Grand Inquisitor, I thought that you said that you had incapacitated the Jedi who was coordinating their efforts, yet they are even more united now than before._ ”

 

Halmere then hesitatingly said to everyone, “ _I don’t understand myself, for the wounds that I inflicted in her psyche should have kept her bedridden for months, if not a year. Yet, I felt her presence in the Force grow even stronger than before, and several other Jedi are supporting her in her meditations. All I was able to discern from my meditations was that a young_ _Tholothian and human woman that healed her mental scars, and how the Whiphid Jedi K’Kruhk is now aiding them in their battle meditation._ ” 

 

“ _Well, that doesn’t solve anything on this enigma, but, unless your other ideas work, Commodore Thrawn, I would recommend a full-scale retreat at once in order to avoid any further Imperial casualties._ ” Wullf advised the Chiss commodore, who nodded his head in agreement.

 

“ _I agree, Colonel Yularen._ ” Thrawn concurred, surprising both Nils, Halmere, and Vader, but impressing Trachta and Wullf with how he was not willing to throw away good soldiers’ lives in an effort to save face with the Emperor. He then resumed speaking, “ _That is why I have ordered an evacuation of all naval and ground forces in preparation for a full retreat out of the system._ ” 

 

“ _You can’t be serious, Commodore!_ ” Nils horrifically said, not willing to accept defeat so soon after his promotion to Director of Naval Intelligence. “ _We can’t let the Shadow Alliance escape this system, or it could undo the Empire from the inside out._ ”

 

“ _Perhaps not, Admiral Tennant._ ” Thrawn cryptically said before he elaborated, saying, “ _While the Inquisitors provided a distraction with their assault, Grand Moff Trachta and I had Vader’s bounty hunters, Bane and Kravous, search for a list of the Shadow Alliance’s unknown and potential allies, including their Imperial Senate supporters. And, not even five minutes ago, they reported to me that they had acquired the list while infiltrating the camp that the representatives from Remnant were reported to be in. Although it has been encrypted with technology that is currently beyond our capabilities, it should be able to, at the very least, put us on the hunt for the Shadow Alliance’s collaborators._ ” 

 

 _“Excellent work, Commodore!_ ” Wullf praised the younger officer in his initiative, and knew that his two fellow double agents would find a way to protect the Shadow Alliance from any true damage being done to it.

 

“ _That… is an acceptable alternative, Commodore._ ” Nils reluctantly said, appeased that the Shadow Alliance’s clandestine allies in the Imperial Senate would not be able to escape justice for too long, while impressed with how quickly Thrawn had familiarized himself with the usage of his new positon.

 

“ _Agreed._ ” Halmere pleasingly said, while Vader looked as if he would choke everyone with the Force for their acceptance of a retreat from their position, even with their numbers diminished significantly.

 

“ _Then it’s decided. We’ll begin a fighting retreat in order to give Bane and Kravous time to return to the_ Retribution _, and then head straight to Imperial Center to await the Emperor’s return._ ” Trachta declared before he spoke specifically to Halmere, and said to the Grand Inquisitor, “ _Order your Inquisitors to lead the evacuation of our troops to their carriers, and be sure that none of them rebel against the orders._ ”

 

After Halmere nodded his head in agreement, Trachta then looked at Colonel Yularen, and asked him, “ _How goes the elimination of the Shadowfeed relays, Colonel?_ ”

 

“ _We’ve taken out all but ten percent of the relays, sir, and expect the final relays to be deactivated within, at most, the next two hours._ ” Wullf reported, earning a nod of approval from Trachta.

_Two Hours and Thirty-Five Minutes Later_

_Twelve Hours Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

 

The last of the Imperial fleet’s Star Destroyers had just jumped to lightspeed in order to escape their more numerous and powerful enemies, earning cheers of jubilation from the Shadow Alliance members all across the system.

 

After approximately thirty hours of fighting in the Lah’mu System, the casualty reports came in, and the Shadow Alliance had suffered the lighter of the two organizations’ losses.

 

The Empire had, among the fifty _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, thirty _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, twenty _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, ten _Acclamator_ -class assault ships, and forty-five Imperial Light Cruisers that invaded the system, lost thirty _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, twelve _Victory_ -class Star Destroyers, eight _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyers, seven _Acclamator_ -class assault ships, and thirty-seven Imperial Light Cruisers. In the form of its ground forces, it had lost four of its ten battalions, eleven of its Inquisitors, the Emperor’s Hand Jeng Droga, and the capture of Grand Moff Tarkin. 

 

The Shadow Alliance, on the other hand, had, lost five hundred starfighters, one _Venerator_ -class Star Destroyer, two of the Yuuzhan Vong’s _Miid ro’ik_ , a Remnant tank-like capital ship, and the Empire destroyed the majority of the Partisans, the Christophsis resistance, the Commenor Underground, and the Atrivis Resistance Group’s ships. However, it had captured three Imperial-class Star Destroyers, the _Devastator_ , _Obliterator_ , and _Sovereign_ , each ship the flagship of Darth Vader, the Emperor, and Grand Moff Tarkin, respectively.

 

Now the Shadow Alliance had the difficult task of picking up the pieces of their deceased, and prepare to scatter their fleet in order to avoid being destroyed by another Imperial attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends the Siege of Lah’mu! I must say that when I didn’t start this chapter, I didn’t see ending the battle there, but I felt like it was dragging on, as Thrawn and Tracha weren’t glory-seekers among the Imperials, and they knew when they had lost, and would thus organize a retreat of their remainder forces in order to save their lives for the next battle. So, this battle was a complete disaster for the Imperials, and the galaxy saw enough of it to guess that they lost a major engagement against a new enemy. This will no doubt set the Shadow Alliance’s cause on fire, and rally many people and groups to their side. As for the list that Bane and Kravous found, don’t worry, it won’t be decoded for at least a couple of years. I just needed them to find something that would keep the Emperor from killing everyone involved in the Siege of Lah’mu, and a complete, if heavily encrypted list of the Shadow Alliance’s allies would be enough to placate the Emperor. Now then, I expect this story to be concluded soon, as the Shadow Alliance has survived its trial by fire, and will soon spread like wildfire across the galaxy. Don’t fret, though, as I’ll start a new story that will take place not long after this one ends. Now then, happy birthday, Master Skywalker 121. I hope that you enjoy it with your family, and I hope to hear from you later on. So, what are you all doing on the day of June 8, 2018? I’ll be going to work in a little over an hour, so I’ll post this chapter later tonight after I get home. Well, I guess that that’s it for this update. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	56. Chapter 55

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon, everyone! What’s going on with all of you wonderful people on this warm day of June 9, 2018? I’ve been reading the Warhammer 40k: Sisters of Battle Omnibus, and I’ve already read over 120 pages of the long book. I have to say that the series, while very dark and grim, is quite an entertaining read, and I look forward to the next book of the series that I read. And, I just received one of my two Tolkien books through the mail, and it looks very promising, and in excellent condition. Well, I can’t believe that I’ve been writing this story for over five months, and I’ve surpassed 250,000 words in this story. This fills me with such vast amounts of joy, as it proves that my reservoirs of creativity, as well as my deep love of Star Wars, have not been extinguished in the slightest. So, our heroes have driven back the Empire, but they got away with a complete list of the Shadow Alliance’s allies. Good thing that it won’t be exposed for a long time. And, the Empire has suffered incredible casualties in their elite forces, which will impede their ability to wage war against their enemies. Oh, Squasher’s saga is going to be a thing of pure beauty when it is complete, and I will be proud to have helped him in his bold and noble endeavors. One more thing, did you guys hear that a new Star Wars video game is coming out in Winter 2019, which is titled “Jedi: Fallen Order”? Given the history of recent Star Wars video games, I don’t have much hope for this once, but I want to believe that it can be better than the others, and can be integrated into my head canon for the Star Wars Expanded Universe. I guess that only time will tell if I can buy this game. Well, back to writing. 
> 
> (June 10, 2018 Addendum.) Hello, everyone. How are you doing today? I’m doing all right, as I’ll be heading to church in a few hours, and I’m going to get a lot of writing in before and after I go to a nearby church. Anyway, I just wanted you guys to know that, while I’m waiting for the strategy Guide for Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening to arrive, I’ll be playing the two DLCs for Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, starting with The Blade of Galadriel. So far, it’s pretty good, and I will feel sad when I finish the two DLCs, as it’ll complete the game for me. Well, back to writing.

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_Eleven Hours and Thirty Minutes Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_In Hyperspace_

_En Route to the Lah’mu System_

_On the_ Subjugator _-class_ _heavy cruiser_ Intrepid

 

“You mean to tell me that you guys managed to drive back the Empire without our assistance?!?” Dylan incredulously said to Tau, who was contacting him from his ship before he and the Shadow Alliance finalized its evacuation of the Lah’mu System.

 

“ _That’s correct, Admiral._ ” Tau said with a smirk on his face, and continued to speak, “ _We kicked the Empire in their_ shebs _today, and showed the galaxy that they can still fight back against the Sith._ ”

 

He then curiously said to Dylan, “ _Didn’t you see the battle through the Shadowfeed? Well, I mean before the Empire shut it down just before they evacuated the system?_ ”

 

Dylan found himself sitting down in the _Intrepid_ ’s command chair in shock over the news that his friends had managed to unite the Shadow Alliance in such a way that the Empire, under the command of Darth Vader and several of the Empire’s best officers, and numbly said, “I shut it down. I didn’t want to have the crew distracted while we were in hyperspace, so I ordered the fleet’s communications to be shut down until we were one hour away from you guys.”

 

“ _A sensible explanation._ ” Tau said in acceptance of Dylan’s reasoning for maintaining communications silence. He then said, “ _I’ve got to go. We had a security breach in the Arda camp, and Bane and Kravous stole a lot of our more sensitive information. We need to have a final conference so that we can figure out what exactly they stole, and how to counter it when the Empire decodes it._ ”

 

“All right. Let me know what you find after the meeting. Libel, out.” With that, Dylan and Tau ended their communication on both ends, and Dylan said to his bridge’s crew, “Alert all ships that our allies are safe on Lah’mu, and that we’ll be focusing on evacuating the wounded and civilians once we reach our destination.” 

 

A strong chorus of confirmation reached the admiral’s ears, and he resolved to ensure that Admiral Zalveniad’s command ship was in pristine condition when he retook command of his Confederate fleet.

_One Hour Later_

_Ten Hours and Twenty-Seven Minutes Until Admiral Libel’s Arrival_

_On Lah’mu_

_Within the_ Second Chance

 

“Are you absolutely certain of the contents of this data breach, Headmaster Ozpin?” Tau said as he felt his hands and eyes twitching uncontrollably at the prospect of all of his allies, especially the Imperial Senators that pledged their support to the Shadow Alliance, being exposed to the Empire before they were ready to make their move, due to the lack of security of the Remnant’s databanks.

 

“ _I’m afraid so, Tau._ ” Ozpin solemnly said as the rest of the Shadow Alliance’s leaders, including their covert Imperial Senate allies, erupted in a frenzy over such a massive security breach, and roared their disapproval at the Remnant delegation.

 

Tau, Ahsoka, Daniel, and a handful of other leaders futilely attempted to restore a semblance of order to this conference, but it took Arnine’s creative, and slightly sadistic, manipulation of the dejarik table’s sound systems to create a screeching noise that nearly deafened everyone with how excruciatingly painful the sound was.

 

After the noise stopped playing, Tau, once he rubbed the blood off of his bleeding ears, furiously said to Arnine, “Thank you for breaking up this argument, Arnine. Just, in the future, please try a more safe method of trying to calm everyone down instead of TRYING TO BURST OUR EARDRUMS!!!”

 

Chopper then cheered in droidspeak for Arnine taking such a drastic measure in stopping a quarrel between organics.

 

“ _Great. Two Choppers to deal with._ ” Cham despondently said, remembering how much mischief the C1 astromech droid got itself into after crashing just outside the Taan Province during the Clone War. 

 

 _At least the infighting stopped._ Ahsoka thought, even though she still felt a thick undercurrent of tension simmering against the Remnant delegation.

 

“ _How could you leave such a vital piece of information unguarded in the middle of the Imperial’s attack?!?_ ” Saw disbelievingly said to Winter Schnee, the head of security for the Remnant task force.

 

 _“It wasn’t undefended, Gerrera._ ” Winter defensively countered, before she continued, saying, “ _We had a full complement defending the ship. Those two bounty hunters captured one of our missing Atlas Mechs, downloaded a complete layout of our ships from it, and slipped in and out of the_ Beacon’s Light _before anyone could do anything about it._ ”

 

“Now that, I can believe, Winter.” Ahsoka said, bitterly remembering how, during Ahsoka’s time as a Jedi Padawan, Cad, the Clawdite Cato Parasitti, and the former’s personal techno-service droid that was called Todo 360, managed to infiltrate the Jedi Temple in order to steal a holocron for Darth Sidious’s failed plans to build an order of Sith Acolytes.

 

Embo then said in Ahsoka and Winter’s defense, [Me too, Tano. Bane is one of the best bounty hunters out there, and only rivaled by Boba and myself.]

 

“ _So, how long do we have until the Empire figures out our loyalties?_ ” Chi Eekway worriedly said to no one in particular, for every senator feared the inevitable reprisals from the Empire on their homeworlds once Sidious learnt of their true allegiance.

 

“Longer than you think, Senator Eckway.” Kal calmly said to the Pantoran senator, eliciting looks of suspicion from the bulk of High Command.

 

Knowing that they’d want a more concrete answer in order to soothe their fearful minds for their homeworlds, the Mandalorian colonel continued, saying, “ _I took a look at the databanks that the Empire swiped, and it has encryption patterns from members of my clan, along with several other groups that helped secure the data within it, including Tau’s Arnine unit. Between these layers of defense, I’d be willing to bet that it would take the Empire at least a year to even start to crack its secrets._ ”

 

“Well, at least that buys us some time to put escape plans into place.” Mon Mothma said, the relief that they had some time to plan to leave the Empire behind evident in her voice, before she continued, saying, “We need to ensure that, once we are discovered, the Empire can’t tie any of our doings to our homeworlds in order to keep them from suffering Sidious’s wrath.”

 

“ _I agree. Even with our moles in the Imperials’ ranks, this will be too huge a secret to be kept for long once the data is unveiled._ ” Bail Organa said in consensus with the Chandrilian Senator’s line of thought.

 

“ _Regardless of the future, we should take heart in our victory today._ ” Garm began, earning nods of agreement from everyone. He continued to motivate the leaders, saying, “ _Together, this alliance managed to drive back the Empire from conquest, of a world and decimated their forces in a brilliant defense of a planet. You managed to capture three Imperial Star Destroyers, Grand Moff Tarkin, and an Inquisitor, and, more importantly, disgraced Vader in the Emperor’s eyes. I’d call that a victory in my eyes._ ”

 

“Agreed. Now we just need to finish this shadow war that we’ve begun.” Tau said, his optimistic tone hiding the fear in his heart.

 

“ _First, we need to get out of this system before the Empire returns with even greater numbers. Many of us have our homeworlds to defend in case the Empire decides to retaliate against them, not to mention our own problems to deal with._ ” Ironwood interjected.

 

“ _Agreed. But, before that, we need to appoint an interim leader of the Shadow Alliance until we can establish ourselves as the Galactic Alliance of Tau’s time._ ” Bail said as he and his fellow senators turned to face Tau, while everyone else quickly caught on to what the Alderaanian was talking about, and faced the Jedi clone.

 

Tau, at first confused by what Bail was saying, eventually realized that he was all but appointing him to lead the Shadow Alliance, and ardently said in refusal, “No. Absolutely not. I can’t lead the Shadow Alliance. I… I can’t have that much power; or I could end up like Sidious.”

 

“Tau, no one here believes your claims. That’s just your anxiety and your own sense of unworthiness in your desire to measure up to your brother’s legacy.” Jarael said, her old psychiatrist training being put to good use once again.

 

“But, but I’m…” Tau futilely protested before he knew that they’d have a good rebuttal for every claim that he’d make, as he recalled how Edaan embraced his role as the leader of his Shadow Alliance, and how he owed it to both Edaan and himself to finish what he had started.

 

After sighing in exasperation, he asked, “Why me?”

 

“ _Because you have the knowledge, experience, and availability to lead us._ ” Lux Bonteri said. “ _You know more about the dangers that are coming our way than anyone else here, and you have your brother’s experience in leading so many diverse forces into battle with such unity. Not to mention that all of the other candidates have their own missions to take care of across the galaxy._ ”

 

“Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, Senator Bonteri.” Tau sarcastically said before he sighed in defeat, and said to everyone, “Is everyone okay with this?”

 

“ _Hey, you gathered us all together into a force that can fight the Empire, and you haven’t betrayed us yet. You’ve got my support._ ” Saw comically said.

 

“ _You proved yourself a friend of the Free Peoples of Arda during your time on our world, Tau Palpatine. You have all of us with you._ ” Legolas said, with the rest of the Arda representatives nodding their heads in agreement with the Woodland prince.

 

“ _You still have much to learn as a person and leader, Tau, but you have the willingness and capacity to adapt and grow._ ” Ozpin sagely said, with the ambassadors of the Remnant delegation voicing their agreement.

 

“ _Without you and the rest of your friends,_ Jed'dai _Palpatine, the rest of my forces would be slaves to Sauron and Morgoth. And, like Senator Bonteri said, you are the only one of them who has the availability to lead us._ ” Vem Carr continued to their line of thought.

 

“Okay…” Tau hesitatingly said to the Yuuzhan Vong commander, before he turned to face Viridian and Daniel’s groups, and asked them, “And you guys are cool with giving me all of this power? What about you guys? Can’t one of you lead the Shadow Alliance after you finish your tasks?”

 

“ _Just say yes, Tau. There’s no way that you’re going to wiggle your way out of this one._ ” Viridian jokingly said to his fellow Jedi.

 

Tau then sighed in exasperation, and reluctantly said, “Very well. I accept the burden of leadership until a true election can be held for the Shadow Alliance.” He then awkward said, “Please tell me that there’s not going to be a big ritual or anything, because I couldn’t endure pomp and ceremony?”

 

Everyone then laughed at the hilarity of Tau’s awkwardness, and Tau rolled his eyes at everyone having a good laugh at his expense.

 

After the laughter eventually died down, Tau took this moment to ask Maarisa, “Are the transports ready to launch, Admiral, because we need to be out of here before the Empire comes for us again?”

 

“ _We’ve already begun to evacuate the civilian transports, Tau._ ” Maarisa said in a reassuring tone, which earned a nod of gratitude from the newly appointed leader of the Shadow Alliance.

 

“Good. What about the wounded and vital equipment?” He said as he turned to face Jareal to ask her on her part in the evacuations.

 

“Most of the wounded have been loaded onto the ships, and should be up and walking again in a matter of days. As for the equipment, we managed to secure everything, including the nonessentials.” Jarael satisfyingly said.

 

“Excellent.” Tau said in relief, before he said to everyone, “All right. We need to scatter the fleet until we can build up enough strength to wage a covert war against the Empire, all the while sabotaging their cloning operations on Kamino, as well as liberating Admiral Volta’s homeworld before the Empire destroys it. In the meantime, we’ll need to recruit new blood to our cause if we’re going to increase our ranks. So, anyone who has any prospective allies in mind, don’t be afraid to speak up.”

 

_Fourteen Hours Later_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

_In Hyperspace_

_En Route to the Dagobah System_

 

As Tau read over the casualty reports from the Siege of Lah’mu, he was grateful to Iluvatar that the vast majority of his friends and comrades managed to survive the Empire’s failed invasion.

 

Thankfully, the Empire killed no Jedi, and the Remnant teams performed amazingly well against the rigid structure of the Imperials when they helped the Shadow Alliance took control of their three newly acquired _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers. As for the ground forces, it was estimated that, thanks to the coordination of Master T’Ra Saa, Vesse and Niwen Mallory, ad K’Kruhk, they had suffered only approximately fifteen percent of their combined forces, as every force suffered minimal losses on the ground. Unfortunately, in space, the battle had cost them about twenty-one percent of their naval capabilities. However, the capture of the _Devastator_ , _Obliterator_ , and _Sovereign_ helped offset these losses, and would prove vital in the coming campaigns to come.

 

In addition, the capture of the Inquisitor Prosset Dibs and Grand Moff Tarkin served to raise the morale of the Shadow Alliance, as it proved that their leaders were just as vulnerable as they were.

 

In order to gain the most information and usage out of their new prisoners, Berch Teller, Rahm Kota, Maarisa Zsinj, Arden Lyn, Kal Skirata, Walon Vau, and A’Sharad Hett would oversee their interrogations before their trials for war crimes, and eventual executions on the Holonet.

 

The Shadow Alliance had just completed it evacuation of the Lah’mu System two hours ago when the _Second Chance_ had jumped into hyperspace for the Dagobah System. They were heading there to in order to try and recruit Master Yoda as a teacher for the Force-Sensitive young that they knew existed in the Unknown Regions, as the Shadow Alliance needed experienced Jedi to train them for the wars to come.

 

Unfortunately, not everything was good news, as he had learned from Asajj and Daniel that Cinder was seen using the powers of the Fall Maiden, and was now a prime suspect for the attempt to steal all of Amber’s powers from her for her own usage.

 

He was in communication with them, Daniel’s mother, Naomi Valo, and Ozpin now on what to do with this knowledge, as they knew that, if Cinder was indeed the traitor, then they had to act quickly to prove her guilt in order to keep her from doing any more damage to their cause.

 

“ _We cannot arrest Cinder without hard evidence of her having stolen a portion of Amber’s powers, or it could spread fear and division within our ranks, as Cinder is one of our best hunters._ ” Ozpin said, laying the facts out on the table, to the irritation of Daniel, who was quite restless over the lack of action being done to prove who stole his wife’s powers.

 

But, before Daniel could say anything that would immediately regret thereafter, Tau quickly said in a mediator’s position, “We understand, Headmaster. That is why I’ve come up with a plan to lure Cinder into a trap that will expose her as a traitor.”

 

Asajj, wanting her friend to keep calm in the face of Ozpin’s understandable caution, said to Tau, “ _Well, don’t keep us in suspense. What’s the plan, Tau?_ ”

 

“Headmaster, do you have access to the blood of Amber?” Tau suddenly asked, confusing everyone with such a random request.

 

“ _Yes… we kept blood samples of all our patients that we treat. But, I fail to see how that will prove Cinder’s guilt._ ” Ozpin confusingly said.

 

“It will, if we clone a fake Amber to lure her into an ambush with surveillance cameras that can capture her in the act. I can have Grand Moff Trachta help us acquire a Spaarti cloning cylinder for our usage, and have him clone an unintelligent clone of Amber that will serve as the perfect bait for Cinder.” Tau said, astonishing everyone with how far he had put this plan of his together.

 

“ _Just like that?_ ” Daniel incredulously said before he continued to speak, saying, “ _How did you come up with that plan of yours so quickly_?”

 

“Ah… just something that I picked up from my brother.” Tau dismissively said to Daniel before he said, “Listen, I’ll contact him now, while he still has time to act before Sidious chews him and Vader out for their losses once they all arrive at Coruscant. I’ll contact you again when we reach Dagobah. Stay safe, all of you.” With that, he ended the communication, and keyed in Grand Moff Trachta’s private frequency.

 

After about three minutes of waiting, he received the cyborg’s holoimage, and Trachta humorously said, “ _Tau, this is unexpected. Come to revel in your victory over us, or do you have something important to ask of me?_ ”

 

“If that’s your attempt at humor, Trachta, it needs some work.” Tau said, playing along with Trachta’s jokes before he got serious, and said, “I need your help in ferreting out a traitor in our ranks, and I need to use one of the Empire’s Spaarti cloning cylinders for that purpose.”

 

“ _That’s a tall order, Tau. The Empire is keeping a close watch on all Spaarti facilities, and they’ll realize that there’s a traitor in their ranks if I help you steal even one cloning cylinder._ ” Trachta warningly said to Tau.

 

“I know.” Tau said in acknowledgment before he continued, saying, “However, I might have a way around that little complication. We know that the Emperor has a storehouse full of Spaarti cloning cylinders in his private storehouse on the Outer Rim World of Wayland, and, it just so happens that we now have three Imperial Star Destroyers under our command now. If we could use one of them and several Jedi and experienced commandos to deal with the guardian of the storehouse, we could steal at least a couple hundred of the cylinders, along with many of the Emperor’s artifacts and relics, for our usage as a contingency just in case we need a quick army of shock troopers.”

 

Trachta’s plain shock was obvious to the Jedi through the Force, and Tau quickly said, “You might want to be careful, Trachta, because, if I can sense your disbelief, then it’s highly likely that Vader could as well.”

 

“ _Uh… Right. Good catch, Tau._ ” Trachta said as he quickly reined in his disbelief, and said, “ _Yularen and I’ll do what we can on our end to ensure that the Empire is kept in the dark on your plans, but you’ll have to act fast since the Emperor has several facilities there. One of them is will be bound to notice something’s up in Mount Tantiss._ ”

 

“Don’t worry about us. Just keep yourselves safe. Tau, out.” Tau said as he prepared to retire to his cabin for at least ten hours of much-needed rest after helping finish the evacuation of Lah’mu.

 

Sensing that everyone else was asleep in their bunks, he quickly made his way to his room in order to join his girlfriend in a well-deserved sleep.

 

What he saw when he entered his room warmed his heart, as he saw Ahsoka sleeping with a beat Butch at the edge of the bed.

 

Moving quietly in order to keep from waking up either of his loved ones, Tau quietly unfastened his boots, and silently slipped into bed, kissing his girlfriend on the cheek, which caused her to unconsciously smile, before he fell asleep as well.

 

_Two Days Later_

_Within The Dagobah System_

_In Orbit Above Dagobah_

 

“Can you sense Master Yoda on this jungle of a world?” Akku said as he prepared to slowly take in the _Second Chance_ for a difficult landing, as he recalled the stories of how challenging it was for Luke Skywalker during his first trip to this world.

 

“Yes. He knew that he was coming, because he’s broadcasting his presence to us. We know exactly where he is.” Tau said as he, Ahsoka, and Ventis sat in the other seats in the cockpit of the YT-1300 freighter.

 

“Great. Then you three will have to guide us down.” Akku said to the three Force-Sensitives as he began the ship’s descent into Dagobah’s atmosphere.

 

_Thirty Minutes Later_

_On Dagobah_

_Within Yoda’s Hut_

 

The last Grand Master of the Jedi Order was finishing his soup when he heard the distinct sound of a starship’s engines nearing his hut.

 

Knowing that his guests had finally found him, he put down the now-empty bowl, grabbed his cane, and walked outside to see the disk-shaped freighter land on a nearby strip of land.

 

Sensing that Ahsoka Tano and the ship’s entire crew was exiting the ship, Yoda prepared himself to face the woman who the Jedi Order greatly wronged in its final months, and apologize from the bottom of his heart for his complicity in its crimes.

 

Once the nine-man crew exited the ship, Yoda warmly said, “To my home, I welcome you, Ahsoka Tano and Tau Palpatine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends one of the last chapters of Star Wars: Shadow Wars: Foundation. What did you guys think of it, as I put it together in just two days? Did you enjoy the plans that Tau and his allies made, as well as the inclusion of Master Yoda in the beginning of their attempts to recruit him to their cause? Well, don’t worry, I still have a few chapters to go in this amazing story, and then we’ll begin a new one soon after. So, how are you doing on the night of June 10, 2018? I’m doing well, as I’ll be reading some more of my Warhammer 40k Sisters of Battle Omnibus soon, and maybe play some more of Middle-Earth: Shadow of War: The Blade of Galadriel later on. I will be writing more tomorrow, don’t worry, as I still have one day off before I work on Tuesday. Well, I guess that that’s it for this update. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	57. Chapter 56

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys. How are you doing on June 11, 2018? I’m doing well, as I just got home from running some errands with my family, and I’m listening to the movie 12 Strong on my Xbox One while I begin to write this chapter. Fair warning, it will have a character and idea that Master Skywalker 121 suggested to me, and Squasher and I made some modifications to it to fit Squasher’s plans. By the way, once I complete this sentence, I’ll have surpassed five hundred pages in this story, which is the longest that I’ve ever written in my fanfiction career. So, with all of the small talk out of the way, I’d better get to writing, as my power might go out with the storm coming, and I want to get in some good writing before my laptop and desktop lose power. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me.
> 
> (June 12, 2018 Addendum.) How are you guys doing on this dreary day? I’m all right, if a bit tired, as I mowed my parents’ lawn this morning, and will have to go to work in less than 2 ½ hours for a busy shift at my movie theater. Oh, and I got two good things through the mail today: a Warhammer 40,000 Omnibus book, and the Prima’s Official Strategy Guide to Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening that I ordered from Amazon several days ago. I already read a good chunk of the strategy guide, and I can’t wait to read the next Warhammer 40k Omnibus after I read the Sisters of Battle omnibus, and then The Science of Star Wars. Well, back to writing.

“You know who I am, Master Yoda?” Tau curiously asked the former Jedi Grand Master, who looked at him with an observing eye, as if he was trying to confirm something.

 

“Told me of you and your mission to overthrow your ancestor, Qui-Gon Jinn, my master, did.” Yoda explained, which made Tau’s eyes widen in shock of the mention of one of his brother’s true masters.

 

He then calmed down enough to say, “Right. He’s training you in the ways of preserving your consciousness after death, just like he’s training Master Kenobi on Tatooine.”

 

Ahsoka then did something that no one expected, but warned Tau’s heart as he saw his girlfriend kneel down in order to hug the wizened Jedi Master. She then said, with tears stinging her eyes, “ _Stang_ , it’s good to see you again, Master Yoda.”

 

Yoda then chuckled at Ahsoka’s use of cussing, and said, “Good it is, to see you as well, Ahsoka.” He then saw Butch come up to the two people.

 

The Tuk’ata hound then affectionately licked them on the face, which made Ahsoka giggle at Butch’s loving gesture, and said, “Butch, Butch, stop it.”

 

Once Butch walked away from Yoda and Ahsoka, she let go of her former teacher and stood upright again. Yoda then said, in observance of the Tuk’ata hound that walked back up to Tau, “Strange company you keep, Ahsoka.”

 

She then asked Yoda, “You want to come into our ship for a little while, as I don’t think that your hut can fit all of us?”

 

“A long time, it has been, since I was in a ship. A good experience, I think it will be.” Yoda said in agreement as he began to slowly walk to the _Second Chance_ ’s ramp, with the ship’s crew following him.

 

_Five Minutes Later_

_Onboard the_ Second Chance

 

“A fine ship, this is.” Yoda said in praise of the CEC YT-1300 Light Freighter’s main hall.

 

“Thank you, Master Yoda. We’ve got a good part of our crew keeping care of her.” Tau said, waving his hand to show emphasis for him, Ahsoka, Arnine, Celebion, Ventis, and Akku. “We also have an experienced medic and genetic specialist that can keep us healthy,” This time turning to face Jarael and Nagme. He then referred to his whole crew, and concluded by saying, “and all of us have plenty of combat experience.”

 

 Yoda then glanced at every person as if he was looking into their souls, and said, “Good it is, in this dark galaxy, to have friends that you can count on.” He then turned to face Tau and Ahsoka, and smiled as he said, “And, good it is, to have strong love between you two, for strength, it will give you in the years to come.”

 

The couple then looked in surprise at Yoda already knowing of their relationship, before Ahsoka had a bemused look on her face, and said, “You always did have a way of knowing what people were thinking.”

 

“Worry, do not, for against the Sith, the love and trust between you two will protect you, I can sense.” Yoda said.

 

“It isn’t just the Sith that we have to worry about, Master Yoda.” Akku said, catching the grizzled Jedi Master’s attention, before the Anzati Mandalorian continued, saying, “We’ve got invaders from outside our galaxy, an organization of Force-haters, evil Celestials, and so many other dangers out there, that it’s a miracle that we haven’t been conquered by them yet.” 

 

“Hmmm. A story, I sense, Mandalorian who comes from the future.” Yoda enthusiastically said, wanting to hear news of the galaxy after about four years and three months in exile.

 

“It will take some time to fully explain what has brought us to you, Master Yoda. I would recommend that you sit down, as it’s a pretty grim and long tale.” Tau advised, which Yoda listened to, as he walked over to Butch, and he sat besides the sitting Tuk’ata hound.

 

“Take your time, young Jedi. Take your time.” Yoda calmly said as Tau began his tale of how he was sent back in time from just under seventy-two years from the future.

 

_Two Hours Later_

_On Coruscant/Imperial Center_

_Within the Imperial Palace_

 

“You did well, Commodore Thrawn, to retreat after acquiring this crucial information.” Sidious said in the simultaneous form of praise of the Chiss’s decision to accept this setback with dignity and honor, and acknowledgment of Trachta’s promotion of him to commodore of the Imperial Navy.

 

Thrawn bowed in acceptance of his false master’s commendation, and said with genuine reluctance, “I only regret that the information did not come at such a great cost, my liege.”

 

“Yes…” Sidious said in agreement as he turned to face Vader with a near-murderous glare in his eyes, and said to Wullf and Nils, “Have your best slicers get to work on this data at once. The longer that these traitors in the Senate remain free, the more harm they can do to our empire.” Report to me the moment that _any_ intelligence is divulged, and be sure to give Cad Bane and Kravous ten times their usual sum as compensation for their efforts.”

 

“At once, your highness.” Wullf and Nils said to the Galactic Emperor.

 

“Good. Now, leave me to discuss our next move with Lord Vader.” Sidious forebodingly said to the lesser-ranked Imperials of his empire. Knowing that Vader would soon be chewed out for his failures during his previous command of the Imperial fleet, Thrawn, Wullf, Nils, Halmere, and Trachta quickly exited the Emperor’s throne room.

 

“We are besieged on multiple fronts, Lord Vader. Our fleet has suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Jedi, which was broadcasted live across the galaxy. The Inquisitorious lost ten of its most powerful members, and an eleventh has fallen into the Jedi’s hands, while Hand Droga was killed, and Hand Quest has been bedridden for another three days. Admiral Declann’s mind was destroyed when our shrine on Imperial Center was neutralized, along with Councilor Amedda, Grand Vizier Pestage, three more of our Inquisitors, and 11-4D. The Jedi and their Shadow Alliance killed Admiral Screed, and Tau Palpatine’s allies captured Grand Moff Tarkin, the _Devastator_ , _Obliterator_ , and _Sovereign_ , giving them an immediate wealth of information on our plans. In short, our Empire has never been more vulnerable in its four years of existence. And the bulk of the blame rests on _your_ shoulders.” Sidious began in his rebuking of his Sith apprentice.

 

“I do not-” Vader said in protest of his master’s humiliating scathing, only to be cut off by an attack of Force Lightning at the cyborg, which caused the Sith Lord to scream in excruciating agony.

 

“Do not interrupt me, Vader!” Sidious bellowed out as he ceased his bombardment on his disgraced apprentice, and kept speaking, calmly saying, “You allowed Masana Tide to die from enemy bombardment, and allowed the Shadowfeed relays to broadcast our humiliating defeat to every corner of the galaxy. You attempted to usurp me from the Imperial throne using a Jedi Master who had a vital Sith artifact, and caused the spiritual death of Karness Muur. Your brute force methods were so obvious that the Shadow Alliance outmaneuvered you at every turn, and cost us over half of the fleet, which has impaired our ability to expand my Empire. It was only due to Thrawn and Trachta’s quick and innovative thinking that we managed to acquire the data on the Shadow Alliance’s collaborators, and that Admiral Volta was able to acquire Galen Erso for the Death Star’s construction.”

 

Once he was certain that his master was, for the moment, done speaking, Vader said, “I will atone for my failures, my master. Allow me to hunt the Shadow Alliance, and I will bring you Tau Palpatine and his closest companions, just as you desire.”

 

“Oh, no, Lord Vader. That is not the way of the Dark Side, my apprentice.” Sidious forebodingly said, before he continued to speak, saying, “Until such time that you have regained my favor, I am placing you in charge of peacekeeping operations in the Core Worlds, effective immediately.”

 

The thought of having to cater to the needs of the pampered citizens and bureaucrats of the galaxy’s most important worlds made Vader’s burnt stomach churn, and he nearly vocally protested this demotion before he thought better of it, not desiring another lesson from his master. He instead said, “I… will do as you say, Master.”

 

“Good.” Sidious simply said before he motioned with a wave of his hand to dismiss his disgraced Sith apprentice, and gloatingly said, “And, Lord Vader? Instruct Grand Moff Trachta that he will be placed in charge of all operations against the Shadow Alliance, and have him report to me for new plans for defeating Tau and his friends.”

 

Heavily resisting the urge to clench his fist in unadulterated rage over the fact that his rival was now in charge of annihilating his enemies, and vowed to do whatever it took to capture Tau and regain his master’s favor for when he destroyed him. He then numbly said as he walked out of the throne room in order to report to Trachta on his promotion, “Yes, my master.”

 

_Four Hours Later_

_On Dagobah_

_Within the_ Second Chance

 

“Once the Shadow Alliance retreated from Lah’mu, everyone nominated me to lead them against my ancestor. We then headed here to recruit you to our cause.” Tau said as he finished his six hour-long explanation of what had transpired since he had arrived in the past, from arriving on Arda, to helping form a new Shadow Alliance to honor his brother’s original organization.

 

Yoda took all of this new information in stride, and said, “Your hands, full do you have, Knight Palpatine.” He then sighed in sorrow over the tribulations that the galaxy would soon have to face, and regretfully said, “Incomplete, my training with Master Qui-Gon is. A mission of my own, I have, this you know.”

 

“Master Yoda, we can’t rely on the twins alone to save the galaxy, just like the Order of old shouldn’t have pinned all of their hopes on Anakin to restore balance to the Force.” Tau countered, not willing to accept no for an answer from the near-nine hundred-year-old Jedi.

 

“A dangerous road, you all walk. Manipulated by the Sith and Dark Side, the Jedi were before, Tau. Will not risk leading the remaining Jedi in another failed campaign against the Sith and other shadowy threats.” Yoda adamantly said in refusal of any ranking position.

 

“Is that what this is about, Master Yoda? You’re afraid of failing the galaxy again? Well, if that’s the case, then you’re already letting Morgoth and his minions succeed in their causes.” Ventis disappointingly said, causing Yoda to throw a stern look at the former Inquisitor for his presumptuousness.

 

“He’s right, Yoda.” Nagme said before Yoda could futilely counter Ventis’s argument, and said, “My people are suffering under their brutal caste system, and we need an example to lead us into the new age if we are to survive past our own stagnation.”

 

“And there are evils out there that can only be answered by the Light, and Tau and Ahsoka have told us all about how you were one of the greatest instructors in the Jedi arts before the Republic’s fall.” Celebion pleadingly said.

 

“We’re not looking for you to lead our armies, Master Yoda. We have many individuals who are in need of guidance in order to train and become Jedi, and you’re the best candidate for training them in the ways of the Force. You know that failure is one of the greatest teachers of all, and that qualifies you for instructing our candidates for becoming Jedi.”

 

Those last three sentences caught Yoda’s attention, and he intriguingly asked, “To teach people the ways of the Force again, your desire for me is?” 

 

Glad that Yoda’s interest was piqued, Ahsoka said, “That’s correct, old friend. We need to keep the Jedi ways alive if we’re to protect the galaxy against everything that’s coming our way.”

 

What Ahsoka had just said shook Yoda to his core, as she had basically just considered herself a Jedi again. He then smiled with pure joy as he told Ahsoka, “So, rejoined the ranks of the Jedi, have you?”

 

Ahsoka immediately picked up on what Yoda was implying, and ardently said in refusal, “Wh-What?!? No, no, no! I was talking about the galaxy as a whole, not just the Jedi Order.” She then heard the snickering of her friends and boyfriend, and exasperatingly aid to them, “Oh, real mature, guys.”

 

Resisting any further fits of laughter, Tau calmed down enough to say, “Sorry, dear, but you’ve got to admit that you’d have done the same thing if any of us went through the same thing.”

 

“Sometimes, I wonder why I love you, Tau Palpatine.” Ahsoka said as she huffed and turned her back to her boyfriend in fake rejection of him.

 

Tau then chuckled in amusement over his girlfriend’s theatrics. He then turned to face Yoda, and asked of him, “So, will you join our alliance, Master Yoda?”

 

“Yes. Train a new generation of Jedi, I will.” Yoda solemnly said, making everyone smile in victory over gaining the support of the one of the oldest Jedi alive.

 

“But, one thing that you can do for me first, there is.” Yoda said, catching everyone’s attention, before he continued, saying, “Help a group of stranded explorers and their children, you must.”

 

“Stranded… Oh.” Tau fearfully said as he recalled the adventures of the Arranda twins and their Shi’ido Mammon Hoole across the galaxy after the Battle of Yavin, and how one of their adventures had them here a year after Alderaan’s destruction. This escapade involved helping rehabilitate and then evacuate the cannibalistic children of a group of stranded explorers about twenty-five years ago.

 

“Are there any adults left among the survivors, Master Yoda?” Tau asked, not looking forward to dealing with kids that would eat the remains of their dead family in order to survive.

 

“A few, Tau. But, dying, they are, from disease and starvation. Medical treatment, they will require, if they are to survive.” Yoda sadly replied.

 

“Well, then it’s a good thing that we’ve got an experienced medic on this ship.” Tau cheerfully said as he pointed to Jarael.

 

The Iskalloni then said, “I will do all that I can to save the lives of these people, Master Yoda, you have my word on it.”

 

“Good, for hold you to it, I will.” Yoda said before he turned to Akku, and said to him, “Time to take off, it is.”

 

With that Akku followed the Jedi Master’s advice, and brought him to the cockpit so that the Jedi Master could lead the _Second Chance_ to these unfortunate souls, while Jareal and Nagme prepared the medical equipment in order to treat the wounded and sick.

 

_Two Hours Later_

 

While Tau, Ahsoka, Yoda, Jarael, and Akku went to convince the survivors and their children that they could escape the planet of Dagobah, Ventis was hard at work repairing the sublight engines, as he noticed that they were acting a little sluggish since landing on this world.

 

Ventis turned to Arnine, "Can you grab me a wrench Arnine?"  
  
The droid beeped in affirmation, and went to grab it. He brought it back and handed it Ventis. The Jedi and mechanic then began to loosen a bolt and remove a panel so he could repair another system, and said to Arnine, "Thanks, buddy."  
  
Just then, on the center of the table behind him, a hologram of a dark haired woman in her thirties popped up. She was dressed in a set of civilian clothes and stared at the man working on the panel.  
  
After a minute Ventis put the panel back on, "And done, thanks Ar”- then he noticed the image on the table, "nine," he looked at the droid, "Why don't you rest up?" he told the droid.  
  
Arnine seem to understand that Ventis wasn't asking and did as he was told.  
  
Ventis took in a deep breath, "Hello."  
  
" _Daniel said you wanted to see me, what do you want?_ " she asked curtly.  
  
Ventis gulped he wasn't prepared for this as much as he thought he was, "I... want to repay the damage and pain that I caused you. I am so sorry for what happened, and I want to pay off my debt to you."  
  
Naomi's eyes welled up with tears but they remained hard her teeth clenched, " _There is not enough you can do that would ever repay the pain you caused, not just to me but to a lot of people._ "  
  
"I know." Ventis said softly, "But I am willing to do it anyway."  
  
Naomi shook her head and slammed a button causing her image to fade. Ventis sighed and slid down the wall to a sitting position as he grabbed the back of his head, and began to pray for her.

_Concurrently, On Remnant_

 

Naomi quivered as she picked up her hand. She buried her face into her hands and began to weep, Daniel watched from the other side of the room, as Naomi asked him to be there for support, he came up to her and pulled her into a hug.  
  
"Shh, I am so sorry I didn't mean to put you through that. You won't have to speak to him again if you don't want to." Daniel told her.  
  
Daniel brought her to a chair and sat her down, and sat across from her.  
  
When Naomi finally calmed down, she looked at Daniel, "It’s so hard."  
  
Daniel nodded in sympathy, "I believe it, it was a lot for me to wrap my head around too. You don't have to continue if you don't want to, I won't press the issue."   
  
"... I will try again tomorrow." she said, "You will be here?"  
  
"Of course." Daniel comfortingly said.

 

 _Back on the_ Second Chance

 

As Ventis wiped the tears from his eyes in sorrow for all of the pain that he caused Naomi, Celebion noticed him getting up from his spot on the ground, and, wanting to be there for his friend, the Dúnedain Ranger walked up to Ventis and asked, “What’s wrong, my friend?”   
  


“Naomi contacted me.” Ventis began, and continued to speak, saying, “I-I told her that I wanted to atone for the pain that I inflicted on her all of those years ago, and… needless to say, it didn’t go over so well with her.”

 

Celebion was very astounded at how Ventis had the courage to want to face his demons and atone for his past crimes, and hugged him in support for a man that he considered a brother. He then said, “There aren’t any easy words that can make this trauma go away, Ventis, but I do have some words of wisdom for you, if you’re willing to listen.”

 

Ventis then got out of Celebion’s hug, and said, “Well, I’ve made it this far in life, so I’d be a fool if I quit now in trying to atone for Gallies’s sins. Go ahead, my friend.”

 

“I don’t know if these wounds will ever fully fade away. But, I can say that, if you be patient with Naomi, and pray for her, she will eventually come around, as she is a good person, and will know that your desire to do good is genuine, and it will help heal the rift between you, her and your son.” Celebion comfortingly said to the Jedi apprentice.

 

“Thank you. That does help.” Ventis gratefully said to his friend and mentor before he sensed Tau and the rest of the ship’s crew, and the stranded survivors and their children walk into the ship.

 

Ventis then said to Celebion, “We’d better greet the newcomers and get some hot food ready for them, because I sense that our new guests are very hungry.”

 

The two older men then made their way to the main hall, and saw Nagme and Arnine already greeting their passengers.

 

Tau saw the pained look in Ventis’s eyes, and walked over to him, asking his apprentice, “What’s the matter, Ventis?”

 

“Nothing, Tau. Celebion was just giving me some much-needed words of wisdom.” Ventis enigmatically said to his master, and, changing the topic of the conversation, asked, “So, how can we help these liberated souls?”

 

Tau, recognizing a delaying tactic when he saw one, decided not to press the matter for now, and said, “Well, you can start by getting our food stores ready for depletion, because we’ve got to feed about thirty people, and we’ve got about three days before we make it to Sluis Van.”

 

“That bad?” Ventis worriedly asked, wondering if they’d have enough food to last the whole trip to the Sluis Sector’s shipyards. He realized that they’d soon be heading deep into Imperial-held territory, and asked, “Wait, why in the blazes are we heading to a vital Imperial shipyard in this sector with three Jedi, four if we count Ahsoka, and a ship that is by now labeled to be destroyed on sight?”

 

“Don’t worry, Senator Bel Iblis has that covered. He and Senator Danu will be there to meet with the shipyard’s leaders in order to discuss the demand for more Star Destroyers to ‘counter our insurrection’. We just have to rendezvous with one of Garm’s agents and they’ll transfer Master Yoda and the rest of our passengers to one of his ships, where the latter will be sent to Corellia to be treated, and Yoda will be sent to the Unknown Regions to begin training our prospective Jedi candidates.” Tau explained to Ventis, who was impressed with how far his master and their allies had thought this through.

 

“You’ve thought of everything, Tau.” Ventis said as he helped gather rations for their new, starving guests.

 

“Not everything, Ventis. Just enough to keep those dunderheads in the Empire off our tail for a while longer.” Tau humorously said as he helped by bringing in bottles of water for the others, and Akku went to prep the ship for the six-hour journey to Sluis Van.

 

_Three Hours Later_

 

As Tau and Ahsoka shared a loving embrace as they slept in their cabin after everyone else had fallen asleep, they, through their growing Force Bond, felt a calling through their dreams, and found themselves in, of all things, a droid factory on the lava world of Mustafar.

 

Through this shared vision, they saw the construction of IG-100 Magnaguard Battle Droids through the assembly line, with Imperial officers overseeing their development.

 

They then saw the cloning facilities on Kamino growing and testing clones of Force-Users from among the ranks of Sidious’s Dark Side Adepts.

 

Finally, they saw on a world completely saturated by the overwhelming pall of the Dark Side, which Tau recognized as the Deep Core world of Byss, the personal stronghold of Sidious, they saw inhumane experiments being performed on Stormtroopers in order to enhance their natural abilities.

 

Once the couple understood the significance of the visions, a warm and firm female voice said, “ _The Sith known as Sidious moves to flank your advantage. You must be prepared for the onslaught that he will unleash when his plans for retaliation are complete._ ”

 

“Melian.” Tau reverently said before the vision ended, and he and Ahsoka woke from their sleep with heavy pants from the intense visions, and looked at each other with a look of mutual understanding. Butch then stirred from his sleep, and looked at them with a curious look in his eyes, which Tau replied with, “Don’t worry, Butch. We’re all right. Just some vivid visions of what’s to come.”

 

Butch, satisfied with the answer, fell back to sleep, while Ahsoka looked at her boyfriend in confusion over what he had said to the mysterious entity that showed them glimpses of the future.

 

She then asked, “You want to clue me in on what just happened, dear?”

 

“We just received a visit from a Maia from the Undying Lands, one who I struck up quite a good conversation with during my time there.” Tau said as he rubbed his head in order to come up with new strategies for Sidious’s new schemes, while Ahsoka looked at her boyfriend with pure shock on her face at hearing the voice of a Celestial.

 

“Clearly, we need to have a talk with the others about these visions, and your godly friend.” Ahsoka flippantly said to Tau as they fell back to sleep for a couple more hours before reaching Sluis Van.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, cut!!! Well, that wraps another chapter of my story, and this one had so many amazing things happening in it: Vader got demoted over his failures, Yoda agreed to join the Shadow Alliance, the Children and their remaining parents from “Star Wars: Galaxy of Fear: The Hunger” have been rescued and will be sent to Corellia for rehabilitation, and Tau and Ahsoka received a Force vision that details Sidious new, more refined schemes for dealing with the Shadow Alliance. However, I cannot take all of the credit for this idea. First off, the idea for Sidious’s new weapons and soldiers came from Squasher, as did the conversation between Naomi and Ventis, and the idea for Melian the Maia visiting Tau in his dreams came from Master Skywalker 121, but was refined a bit to fit Squasher’s plans. Anyway, what did you think of the chapter, as I put a lot of effort into it? And to think that it only took me three days to write. So, how are all of you doing on June 13, 2018? I’m doing well, as I was able to stay at home today, which gave me time to finish this chapter. Well, I guess that that’s it for this chapter. I’ll start the next chapter tomorrow, and work hard on it, that’s a promise. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!


	58. Chapter 57

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! How are you doing on this hot day of June 14, 2018? I’m doing well, as I was able to get about ten hours of sleep last night, my sister has several of her friends over for a get-together, and she and my mother will be heading to a family reunion in Texas soon for a family reunion there. Oh, and I expect to get the Blu-Ray edition of “I Can Only Imagine” from a local Target store, which I know that I will LOVE to watch again. I will also get the Blu-Ray edition of “Paul: Apostle of Christ” after it comes out next Tuesday. And, I just had a delicious lunch, which should keep me going for a few more hours. Anyway, I’ve got to let you guys know that I’ll be busy this weekend, as I’ve got to work this Friday and Sunday, which will impede my fanfiction writing time, so this chapter might take me a bit longer than usual. Just wanted to let you know. By the way, I expect this weekend to be quite a challenge for me, as “The Incredibles 2” and “TAG” comes out tomorrow, and I just know that hundreds of people will be showing up for those two movies at my theater. On the bright side, it’ll bring in a lot of money for my theater, and hopefully, let me find some big bucks that people leave behind. Oh, before I forget, I just saw on Amazon that David Day is releasing another flexibound book on The Lord of The Rings and its’ universe: “The Dark Powers of Tolkien”, and I can’t wait for the paperback version of the book to come out, hopefully on October 9, 2018, as I love reading more Tolkien books. Well, that’s enough ranting on my part; it’s time to get to writing. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me as I write one of the last chapters of this story. 
> 
> (June 15, 2018 Addendum) Hey, guys. How are you doing on this warm day? I’m doing well, if a bit tired, as I tried to take a nap today in the middle of the day before I have to go to work tonight. Well, my mother and sister have gone to Texas for a family reunion, and they’ll be back in a couple of days, so I have some peace and quiet for a little while. Oh, and, in The Blade of Galadriel, I’ve completed the Seregost level, and am already at Núrn to handle the quest there. I’ve racked up many achievements so far, and accumulated almost two hundred Gamerscore points on my record, as I haven’t played the full game on my own account, which allows me to complete achievements that I would have completed in Shadow of War. Well, I’d better get back to writing my chapter, as it could be the last one that I write for this story before I move on to the next one. I think that I’ll call the next part in my Shadow Wars saga: Star Wars: Shadow Wars: Escalation. What do you think of the title, as I think that it has a nice ring to it? Well, back to writing. 
> 
> (June 16, 2018 Addendum) Hello, everyone. How are you doing on this warm day? I’m doing well, as I don’t have to work today, which gives me a day to rest after a hard night of work at my movie theater last night, because it was busy. So, I think that I’ve decided that this chapter will be the last one in Star Wars: Shadow Wars: Foundation, as I don’t want this story to drag on forever. Oh, and before I forget, I wanted to let you guys know that this chapter will have a certain couple make love with each other. Don’t worry, I won’t make it explicit, but I just wanted to alert you in case it isn’t your fancy. Oh, and, I do not condone out-of-wedlock sex, but I just found my scene to be so romantic, that I had to write it. Well, that’s it for this addendum, as I’d better finish it before tomorrow, because I’ve got to work for five hours that day.

_Two Hours and Forty Minutes Later_

 

“Truly, you have a gift, Ahsoka Tano and Tau Palpatine, to receive visions from a Celestial.” Yoda said as he finished listening to the story that Tau and Ahsoka told the former Jedi Grand Master of their shared vision less than two years ago.

 

“It’s just one of the benefits of having friends in high places, Master Yoda.” Tau amusingly said to his elder, which made Yoda chuckle at his sense of humor, and Ahsoka playfully jabbed one of her elbows into her boyfriend’s gut.

 

“So, I take it that you befriended this Melian during your visit with Iluvatar?” Ahsoka asked Tau, which made him nod his head in confirmation of her guess.

 

“Got it in one, luv.” Tau said as if he was the host of a galactic game show instead of the leader of a rebel movement.

 

Tau, knowing that Yoda and Ahsoka would prefer to hear more about this Melian before the former had to depart the _Second Chance_ , he began to speak of Melian, saying, “Melian was a Maia who fell in love with Thingol, the Elven king of Doriath from the First Age of the Sun. Her love for him was so strong, that she even departed Valinor to live with Thingol on Arda, and they even had a daughter together, Lúthien Tinúviel. They lived together in safety from Morgoth’s rampage of destruction for over four centuries before Lúthien became mortal to marry the human Beren, and greed-crazy Dwarves murdered Thingol near the Age’s end. Melian’s grief and sorrow was so great over the loss of her husband, that she left Arda to return for Valinor, and vowed to never return to the realm of mortals. But, she never stopped loving the peoples of the Arda and the galaxy, and, I spoke with her on the dark forces that existed in my time. She had great sympathy for our plight, but could not bring herself to return to the realm where she lost her family.”

 

“It would seem that she is helping us in other ways, Tau.” Ahsoka insightfully said to Tau, who nodded in agreement.

 

Yoda then said, “A gift for the supernatural, you and your brother had, Tau.”

 

“Yes, he did, Master.” Tau wistfully said as he remembered Edaan’s connection with his five true masters, the ex-Force Hound Tau, and the Jedi Revan, Meetra Surik, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Jacen Solo/Darth Caedus, and the visions that drove him to form the Shadow Alliance in order to redeem Vestara Khai and stop Darth Krayt’s plans of conquest. 

 

He then snapped out of his reflections, and said to Yoda, “You would have loved him. He would have helped taken your Jedi Order into the next age with honor, love, and flexibility that he brought to his Shadow Alliance.”

 

Yoda chuckled in amusement over Tau’s praise over his genetic twin, and said, “Yes. Sure to love him, I would have. To say the same of the rest of the Order feeling the same way, I cannot.”

 

The three Force-Sensitives then laughed over the witty banter being shared, and were only interrupted when Ventis and Butch walked into the captain’s cabin, and the former said, “Guys? I’m sorry to interrupt, but we’ll be entering the Sluis System in about fifteen minutes. It’s about time to say good-bye.” 

 

“Thank you, Ventis.” Ahsoka simply said as she got up from her spot on their bed, and allowed Yoda to get on her back to bring him to the astromech droid shell that would serve as his mode of transportation to the Unknown Regions world of Arda while he was in the Sluis Van shipyards.

 

“It was great to speak with you, Master Yoda.” Ahsoka gratefully said to Yoda as she felt a wave of sorrow come over her from having to say goodbye to another dear friend from her time in the Jedi Order of her time.

 

“No, Ahsoka. Great it was, to see you again. For, gave me the chance to speak of my remorse of betraying your trust when needed it most, you did.” Yoda sadly said, remembering how he did not do enough for Ahsoka when Wilhuff Tarkin accused her of orchestrating the bombing of the Jedi Temple, and then murdering the original suspect, Letta Turmond.

 

He then continued, speaking to Tau this time, saying, “Watch over Ahsoka, Tau, for sense, I do, that your love for each other will protect you in the years to come.”

 

Tau, being honored at having a former opponent of Jedi falling in love support his relationship with Ahsoka, nodded his head in agreement, and then said, “I will do better than that, Master Yoda. We’ll look after each other, because Sidious will no doubt try to exploit our feelings for each other, since Vader knew of our relationship when he attacked Lah’mu.”

 

Yoda then smiled from knowing that his friends were going to protect each other, and, as they arrived at the mechanic’s area on the _Second Chance_ , where Ventis and Jarael waited to put the green-skinned Jedi Grand Master in his disguise, he said to his two friends, “May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all in these dark times.”

 

Shocked at Yoda’a declared faith in Iluvatar, Tau and Ahsoka were at a loss for words before Yoda chuckled at their speechlessness, and Ahsoka snapped out of her daze to say, “May Iluvatar guide your steps as well, Master Yoda.”

 

Yoda then turned to face Ventis, and the Jedi Apprentice shrank under the Jedi Master’s gaze. Yoda then said, “Fear me not, Apprentice Ventis. Sense your remorse over Gallies’s crimes, I do. Great things, you and your master are destined for. To the light, hold true, and amend Gallies’s transgressions, and Iluvatar will reward you.”

 

Ventis, immensely grateful for the words of comfort and wisdom that Yoda gave him, bowed in gratitude for what he had just heard, and said, “I will honor the sacrifices that everyone did for me, and will work to atone for Gallies’s sins, Master Yoda. You have my word on that.”

 

Tau mentally praised Ventis for how far he had come as a free man in such a short period of time, and knew that he could honor the promise that he had just made.

 

With their final goodbyes, Yoda climbed into the astromech droid shell, and Ventis and Jarael put on the droid’s top, concealing the Jedi Master from any prying eyes.

 

_Two Hours Later_

_In Hyperspace_

 

“ _Are you sure of these visions, you guys, as Force visions can be… unreliable at times?_ ” Rahm cautiously asked the couple after the _Second Chance_ completed their mission, refueled the ship, and departed the Sluis System along with Senator Bel Iblis’s covert team in order to get Yoda safely out of danger from the Empire and Sith.

 

“We know, Rahm, but we can’t dismiss them, as they were too vivid and clear to be ignored, and we can’t afford to rule anything out of the equation.” Tau said before he said, “We know exactly where each of Sidious’s new plans to thwart us are occurring, and we know that this is just the beginning. He now knows that brute force won’t be able to stop us, and that we know too much of his plans for the galaxy, so that gives us the advantage in being able to keep him off-balance. He’ll change his strategy to keep us on the defensive through working to build new armies of Magnaguards, super soldiers, and cloned Dark Siders, and we need to prepare for the worst in case he succeeds in building even one of these armies.”

 

“ _I’ll convene a meeting of High Command to alert them to Sidious’s new strategies. We won’t be able to take on these enemies alone, so we need to bolster our numbers dramatically if we’re to stand a chance of surviving for even three years._ ” Rahm said in both agreement and warning.

 

“Tell me something that we don’t know, Rahm. That’s why, while you guys iron out the logistics and training of our soldiers, my crew and I’ll be gathering the recruits that we’ll need to prepare for the wars to come.” Tau said before he continued, “My ship can get in and out of almost any system, and I know where many surviving Jedi, Force sects, and many other prospective allies can be found.”

 

“ _What kind of Force sects, Tau?_ ” Rahm said in a simultaneous mixture of suspicion and curiosity.

 

“The Light-Sided Witches of Dathomir, Matukai, Baron Do Sages, Luka Sene, possibly the Fallanassi and Zeison Sha, and maybe Shon-Ju and his school of Force-users, if we can redeem him, that is.” Tau said off the top of his head.  Both Ahsoka and Rahm were astounded with how many Force Organizations that he knew that might be willing to help their cause.

 

Rahm then realized that the Jensaarai, founded by the Anzati Dark Jedi Nikkos Tyris, and the fallen Padawan Shon-Ju and his students, were enemies of the Jedi Order during the Clone War, he interrupted Tau by quickly saying, “ _Wait, wait, wait, Tau. You want to recruit the acolytes of two Dark Jedi?!?_ ”

 

“If we can convince them of our sincerity, and our noble intentions. The Jensaarai were persuaded to collaborate with my Jedi Order soon after it was reborn under Luke Skywalker’s tutelage. I know that Ylenic It’kla has the memories of his encounter with them, and we have the records on my ship to prove his story.” Tau said in defense of the Jensaarai before regretfully saying, “Shon-Ju, on the other hand, is another story altogether.”

 

Ahsoka, remembering from Tau’s memories of how Shon-Ju became the Sith Lord called Darth See-Chok under Darth Krayt’s Sith Order before he killed himself during the Siege of Korriban in Tau’s timeline. She then said, “His pride and hatred over his perception of the Jedi’s injustices on him runs deep. We might not be able to reason with him, and might have to put him down to stop his rampage of destruction.”

 

Tau sighed in reluctant agreement, and said, “We also have the Ysanna from Ossus to recruit. They should be willing to join us once we reveal to them their Jedi descent from survivors of the Cron Supernova.”

 

“ _Send us a list of every Force Organization that might be amenable for recruitment, and we’ll get to work on bolstering our numbers._ ” Rahm said, with Tau working right away to send Rahm a complete list of all Force Organizations that existed up to Tau’s time, and, in about five minutes, the list came over, and the Jedi General began to peruse the list.

 

As Rahm looked over the list, Tau took the time to ask him, “So… How’s X2’s Jedi training going?”

 

“ _He’s making good progress. I guess Ferroda taught him a few basic skills before Order Sixty-Six began._ ” Rahm off-handedly said to the Jedi Knight.

 

“Well, I’d say that at this rate, we’ll have a new Jedi Order on the rise.” Tau gladly said, ecstatic at being a part of the revival of the Jedi Order over twenty-five years before Luke Skywalker started his Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV.

 

“ _Don’t get cocky, Tau. We still have a ways to go before we can be considered a Jedi Order._ ” Rahm jokingly scolded the young Palpatine. He then asked, “ _Well, what’s your next move going to be, Tau?_ ”

 

“Honestly, I’m not sure what we should do first. We have the entire galaxy to liberate and prepare for invasion and war, and… I’m unsure of how to do it.” Tau fearfully said, earning him a pat on the back from Ahsoka, and a sympathetic look from Rahm.

 

“ _Sorry, but that’s the burden of command, Tau._ ” Rahm said in understanding.

 

“Well… we are near Susevfi, the moon in the Suarbi system where the Jensaarai are based. We can recruit them with Ylenic’s help.” Tau suggested, earning nods of approval from both Ahsoka and Rahm for Tau taking the initiative.

 

“ _Good. I’ll have Senator Organa send him to the moon within three days._ ” Rahm said, earning him a nod of appreciation from Tau.

 

“Thank you, Master Kota.” Tau formally said to the Jedi Master before the older human turned off his holonet communicator.

 

As Ahsoka and Tau left the lounge in order for Ventis and Celebion to have the room for a couple of hours in order to play Dejarik, Tau stopped her by grabbing her hand, and motioned with his head to follow him into his cabin.

 

Confused as to what Tau was up to, but trusting him nonetheless, Ahsoka followed him into their shared room, where Tau sat down and suddenly asked her, “Ahsoka, do you think that I’m doing a good job as the Shadow Alliance’s leader?”

 

Ahsoka, baffled by the question, told Tau with pure honesty, “Tau, it’s only been a few days since you were nominated, and I’d say that your leadership has been extraordinary. You’ve united so many disparate groups for your cause, recruited so many Jedi, Imperials, and Mandalorians, sabotaged your ancestor’s plans on several fronts, and even managed to drive Vader and the Empire’s fleet back from Lah’mu. Is this what’s been bothering you, dear?” 

 

“Yeah, but my brother had years to prepare for when he’d lead the Shadow Alliance of his time, and he had years of genuine experience to back it up. Me, on the other hand, I’ve just got over two years of actual combat experience, and all of Edaan’s memories to rely on. I’m worried that I won’t be able to measure up to my brother.” Tau fearfully admitted to his love.

 

Ahsoka then immediately understood that Tau was doing all of this in order to honor his brother’s memory, and to continue his work of creating a better galaxy for everyone to live in. She then enveloped him in a strong hug, and whispered sweet words into his ear as she tenderly rubbed his back.

 

“Tau, in the few months that I’ve known you, I can safely say that you are not your brother, and that you are doing great things to honor his legacy. Yes, there are similarities between you two, but a few differences too. You may have his heart, but you don’t have the anger within him on those that didn’t do enough to help the galaxy. And, he didn’t have to travel through time to help protect the galaxy from supernatural threats. You don’t have to measure up to your brother, as he wouldn’t want you to hold up to a false perception of yourself.” Ahsoka lovingly said as Tau melted into the embrace.

 

“Thank you, Ahsoka. I can see why I fell in love with you.” Tau said as he rubbed Ahsoka’s back in gratitude.

 

A sudden burst of lustful boldness rolling over him, he slowly moved his hand down to her buttocks, and he heard Ahsoka moan in approval over his advance.

 

Getting into the sensual mood of the room, Ahsoka kissed Tau with deep affection as she pushed him onto the bed, and they kissed each other with increased fervor as Tau rubbed Ahsoka’s montrals with both of his hands, and Ahsoka ran her hands through Tau’s brown hair, each moaning over the other’s loving gestures.

 

Taking a breather to gaze into each other’s eyes, they searched their hearts to decide whether or not they should break their promise to each other and make love to each other.

 

“Are you sure?” Tau whispered to his soon-to-be lover. They had reached a crossroads over honoring Iluvatar’s will, or living in the moment and commit themselves to each other in mind, body, and spirit.

 

“Tau, we’ve never done this before, so, of course I’m nervous about this. But, either of us could die any day in this war, and I want to make the first time something that I can remember with love and affection. So, yes, I’m sure about us consummating our love for each other.” Ahsoka said as she smiled lovingly over her boyfriend.

 

“That’s all I wanted to hear, my love.” Tau whispered as he pulled down Ahsoka onto him, and they kissed each other as they began to remove their clothing off each other, one tantalizing piece at a time.

 

Before they were completely bare to each other, Tau stopped them, and gently pushed Ahsoka off of him, confusing her as he walked up to press several keys on the keypad to the door. She then heard a subtle whir that her montrals were able to pick up, and she knew that he was activating a white noise machine to prevent anyone from hearing their soon-to-be loud lovemaking. He then locked the door in order to prevent anyone from interrupting them.

 

Ahsoka then chuckled at Tau’s preparations, and said, “I take it that Edaan planned ahead when he married Adari?”

 

“Something like that, my love.” Tau responded as he returned to his nearly naked lover, and they each removed their last bits of clothing from each other, allowing themselves to stare at the other with fascinated eyes at the biological differences between the Human and Togruta.

 

“I’d never have guessed that Humans were so hairy everywhere.” Ahsoka humorously said to Tau, who laughed over his lover’s jokes.

 

“And I’d never have guessed that your orange was everywhere.” Tau retorted, earning a kiss from Ahsoka.

 

“So, how should we start?” Ahsoka nervously asked Tau, as she had never had sex with anyone before.

 

“Let’s just take it nice and slow, Ahsoka. We have a few hours before we reach Susevfi. Let’s make our first time wonderful.” Tau said as he pulled Ahsoka into his lap, and they felt their chests grind against each other, and they gave into their sexual urges in order to pleasure their partner with all of the love that they could muster.

 

_Thirty Minutes Later_

 

“You know what those two are doing in their cabin. Right, Celebion?” Ventis said to his friend and mentor as he smiled at what he was sensing from Tau and Ahsoka.

 

“I figured as much.” Celebion said with simultaneous disappointment and joy for the couple, as he was saddened that they could not wait until marriage to make love, but glad that they found comfort in each other in these dark times.

 

Sensing that Celebion would have stern words for the couple once they emerged from their bout of lovemaking, Ventis decided to change the topic of the conversation. "I swear, at this rate I'm going to have to break systems if I want to be of use on the ship." Ventis said to Celebion as they played a game of Dejarik in the lounge, "Your move."  
  
"Victim of your own success?" Celebion chuckled, "It just means you’re doing a great job. After all, who wants to keep going back to do the same task over and over again." Celebion moved his piece and took one of Ventis' smaller creatures.  
  
"I suppose so, my father did always teach me to never halfass a job." Ventis sighed, "After all, ‘it’s important for the leader of the community or household to set an example’, he would say," he made another move, a great beast came to a stop a few space away, and out of harm’s way.  
  
"He sounds like a good man, your father." Celebion said.  
  
"Yeah. I wonder what he would think of me?" he mused to himself  
  
"I think he'd be very proud of you." Celebion   
  
Ventis sighed, "Maybe he would be, but at the same time, the idea of having to deal with the fact that I, as Gallies, did a lot of heinous crimes that would make some Hutts blush is a bit of a hurdle. I wouldn't have been surprised if he disowned me at that point."  
  
"Don't say such things. You're trying to make things right." Celebion consolingly said to his friend.   
  
"Yes and I will continue to do such, after all don't halfass a job, but you, as well as I know that I should be in jail, at the very least, if not dead. And the defense of 'I was possessed by a demon created by the Sith' likely wouldn't hold up in most courts of law." Ventis said before Celebion could bring that up.  
  
Celebion sighed. "That's true." He admitted.  
  
Ventis looked over to the holotable and sighed, "I don't think I could ever pay off the debt I owe her, let alone everyone that's been hurt by Gallius."  
  
"Maybe not." Celebion agreed, "But, at least the effort of it makes it all the nobler."  
  
"I wish it never happened in the first place, but I can't change the past, unless Iluvatar allows me to go back and stop Plagues and Tenebrous." he shrugged.  
  
"If that were to happen what would all change, assuming that you could stop them?" Celebion asked him.  
  
"Pros, a lot of the terrible things Gallies did wouldn't exist. Cons, Daniel wouldn't exist." Ventis looked down, "I hate time travel and all that it entails."  
  
Celebion sighed, "Maybe that's why Iluvatar only chose to send Tau and his crew back to a few weeks before Jane and Viridian's death."  
  
"Well I hope he never does it again." Ventis admitted, "Don't get me wrong, I am thankful that he did what he did with Tau, as it saved a lot of people from a gruesome fate, including my son."  
  
"I know what you mean." Celebion said, nodding in understanding.  
  
Ventis looked down at the board, "Whose turn is it now?" He asked  
  
Celebion chuckled in amusement. "I lost track."  
  
Ventis sighed. "You go first."  
  
Celebion was about to make the move, when the holographic image of Naomi appeared on the holotable again, Celebion turned to Ventis, "You’ve got a caller." He told him.  
  
Ventis turned to the holo table and froze in his tracks, when he saw the image again, "I-I wasn't expecting another call." He said.  
  
Naomi face remained stoic, " _I didn't exactly call ahead._ "  
  
Ventis made a mental note, to always be ready for surprise calls, especially when it was from someone who really-for absolutely legitimate reasons- hates his guts. "How may I help you?" He asked gently, almost subdued.  
  
Naomi looked at him for a moment, " _I don't want your help._ " she stated, " _I just want to make sure your genuinely going to do what you set out to do._ "   
  
Ventis nodded, "I fully intend to."  
  
Naomi looked to the side, " _I do appreciate that, but I don't think I can ever forgive you._ "  
  
"I don't expect you to." Ventis admitted, "But I will still work hard to make amends and reparations for everything that has happened."  
  
Naomi nodded her head slowly.

 

“I believe you.” She finally said after a wait that seemed to last for an eternity.

 

She then awkwardly asked, “ _I take it that Tau has been training you to be a Jedi?_ ”

 

“That’s correct. We’re taking it one step at a time because he’s been extremely busy. He has even more responsibilities now as the Shadow Alliance’s official leader.” Ventis said in confirmation.

 

“ _I’m sure that he’s a good teacher._ ” Naomi said before she turned to face Celebion, and said, “How have you been, Celebion?”

  
“I’ve been holding on, Naomi. We’re heading to a new world to recruit more Force-Sensitives. I’d bring Tau to you, but he and Ahsoka are… indisposed at the moment.” Celebion responded.

 

“ _Indisposed? What do you mean by…? Wait, you don’t mean?_ ” Naomi said before she caught on to what the Dúnedain Ranger was talking about, and Celebion nodded his head in affirmation of her suspicions.

 

She then said, “ _Well, they’re grown adults, so they can do what they want if they please. We just have to be there for them in order to keep them from going off the deep end._ ”

 

“True enough. Personally, I think that it’s romantic that those two found love in each other’s arms after enduring so much hardships in each of their times.” Ventis interjected, making both Naomi and Celebion look at him with a baffled look.

                                                        

Ventis then said, “What? I have a romantic side. It’s not the end of the galaxy or anything.” He then realized whom the woman he told that to was, and awkwardly said, “Sorry, Naomi.”

 

“ _I’d never have thought that you, of all people, had a romantic side to you. I guess you do learn something new every day after all._ ” Naomi said in shock over the man who, as Gallies, raped her decades ago.

 

“So… How’s Lily doing?” Ventis said, curious as to how Daniel’s daughter was holding up with her mother still in stasis.

 

“ _She’s doing well. I’ve been taking care of her, and she’s been saying how she misses her mother._ ” Naomi responded, sorrow etched onto her face over how Daniel was separated from his wife for so long.

 

“Well, Iluvatar willing, that won’t be much longer.” Ventis said, full of hope and promise as he did so, knowing that Daniel and Asajj were hot on the trail of the prime suspect of the one who tried to siphon off Amber’s Fall Maiden powers.

 

“No argument there, Ventis.” Celebion said in complete agreement as Naomi nodded her head in agreement.

 

“ _Well… I’d better get going. I’ve got several classes to teach at Beacon Academy, and a granddaughter to look after. I’ll… talk to you later, Ventis. Iluvatar watch over us all in these mad times._ ” Naomi slowly and uncomfortably said, with Ventis nodding in understanding before she ended her Holonet call.

 

“Well, that went well.” Celebion said, grateful to Iluvatar that Naomi was at least willing to allow Ventis to try to pay off Gallies’s heavy debt.

 

“Yeah.” Ventis sighed as he said, “Now I just have to figure out how to live up to my promise. No pressure or anything.”

 

“Don’t worry, Ventis, you’ll have all of us to help you along the way.” Celebion consolingly said to his friend. He then turned his attention back to the dejarik game, and said, “So, you want to start over the game since we lost track of who was supposed to go next?”

 

“Yeah. Let’s do it.” Ventis said as he reset the holotable to begin another game of dejarik.

 

_Ninety Minutes Later_

 

As Ahsoka and Tau let all of the passions loose from their final climax out of several of their lovemaking over the last two hours, she fell on top of him from, panting heavily from their two hours of exertions.

 

“Wow.” Tau panted in-between deep breaths, still buried in his lover, and kissed Ahsoka on the lips, which she eagerly reciprocated with a tender love.

 

“Wow.” Ahsoka said in agreement before she turned the two over on their sides, and, still having Tau’s length inside of her, playfully said, “I see why my Jedi Order banned this kind of love. Too much passion involved, especially with how we acted an hour ago.” 

 

Tau chuckled in remembering how they gripped each other, and the blood scratches that they left on each other then. “Hey, that’s nothing like how you acted when you were on top of me.” He remembered how much pleasure and passion he endured when both he and Ahsoka grinded against each other several times.

 

He then turned serious, and said, “You know that the others know by now of our affair, as they’re not idiots.”

 

“Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later, luv. At least we have about an hour before we reach Susevfi, and I want to be smelling clean, and not of our… exertions.” Ahsoka dismissively said to her lover, which he nodded to as they slowly, and painfully, separated from each other, and retrieved their strewn-about clothes in order to get dressed for their separate showers, and the bombardment of disappointment that would follow after they exited their cabin.

 

Deciding to trust in Iluvatar and the love between each other to help them endure the trials that they would soon endure, they quickly got dressed, and held hands as they deactivated the white noise machine, and unlocked the door in order to head to the refresher to wash off their sweat. Giving each other a kiss of promise to look after each other in this hostile galaxy, they opened the door to see everyone waiting for them in the main hall.

 

Tau, likely knowing what they were going to say to him and Ahsoka, compromisingly said to his friends, “I know that you all likely disapprove of what we did, but can we at least take showers before you grill us over, because we _reek_ , and I’d like to be clean before we exit hyperspace?”

 

“Fair enough. Just hurry, because, as you no doubt know, we’re exiting hyperspace in less than an hour.” Celebion said in agreement, earning nods of gratitude between the two lovers. 

 

With that, the two lovers went to the refresher in order to freshen up before they began their second round of recruitment efforts across the galaxy, ready to take on the galaxy to protect their loved ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was an invigorating chapter. So much happened in it, from Tau and Ahsoka informing General Kota of their shared vision, Tau facing his doubts, with Ahsoka’s help, the two of them making love (which I think was so romantic), Ventis preparing to try and make amends with Naomi for Gallies’s evil doings, and the crew nearing Susevfi to prepare to recruit the Jensaarai, the first of many Force organizations that they’ll recruit to the Shadow Alliance. Now, before you grill me out for having Tau and Ahsoka have sex, let me explain. After all of the pain, doubts, and trauma that the two lovers had been through, and the tribulations that they will endure in the years to come, I figured that they could take solace in each other. I realize that Tau went against Iluvatar’s teachings, but he is young and full of hormones around a beautiful woman, so it was only a matter of time before they did the deed. Don’t worry, Celebion will chew them out for it, and I won’t make their sex scenes to explicit, as I don’t want my story to be taken down. Well, that was the last chapter of Star Wars: Shadow Wars: Foundation, and it was finished on June 16, 2018, in just three measly days. I can’t believe that I finished this story in five months and eleven days. The next story will be titled Star Wars: Shadow Wars: Escalation. It will have both the Shadow Alliance and Galactic Empire build up their forces through massive recruitment efforts, and work to outmaneuver the other. Well, I think that I’ll take a few days off to relax and think of my next move to make in my story. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!

**Author's Note:**

> Good Afternoon, everyone! How are you doing on this freezing cold day of January 5, 2018? I’m completely ecstatic, as I’m back in the game of writing Star Wars Expanded Universe stories. But, this time, I’m writing for a friend of mine by the username of Squasher, who is creating a brilliant Alternative Universe of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and his storyline is da bomb, at least, I think that’s how the saying goes. So, if you want to learn more about Squasher’s saga, feel free to check out our forum on this website, which is titled “Honoring the Original Star Wars Expanded Universe”. The two of us, and DhuryamDhuryam and MandoCommander, of course, have been brainstorming ideas for the amazing saga. I hope to see some of you there, as we welcome all people to this forum, as long as you follow the simple rules on the forum, which are to keep your comments constructive, and not venomous. Well, with that said, let’s get started with this amazing story. May the Force be with us all, and Long Live the Star Wars Expanded Universe!


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